South Korea will join Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation programme, as an associated country, the EU announced in a statement yesterday (25 March.)

Horizon Europe, with approximately £80bn in grants, is a seven-year European Union scientific research initiative, offering opportunities for collaboration between UK, Italian, Spanish, and other international partners.

Horizon Europe is the European Union’s biggest funding programme for research and innovation. The programme constitutes the world’s largest collaborative research initiative and is scheduled to run until 2027.

Negotiations between Iliana Ivanova, EU Commissioner, and Lee Jong Ho, Korean Minister for Science and ICT, have concluded, marking a milestone for collaboration in research.

The agreement is expected to be signed in the second half of 2024, enabling South Korea’s participation from 2025 onwards.

South Korean researchers and organisations will be eligible for funding under Pillar II of Horizon Europe, focusing on global challenges like climate, energy, digital economy, and health, with a budget of €53.5bn.

This association represents a shift in the EU’s approach to international research collaboration, extending beyond geographic proximity to include countries with strong science, innovation, and technology profiles.

Cooperation between the EU and Korea in research and innovation is governed by an existing Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation.

Korea expressed its interest in association during a meeting in February 2022.