Opening address: Horizon 2020 – Performance and Further Simplification

Members of Parliament,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to see you all here. We have come together to talk about an extremely important part of Horizon 2020. Simplification.

In 2010 Andre Geim won the Nobel Prize for Physics for the discovery of graphene. In his acceptance lecture, Andre had some very sharp words about EU research funding. He said:

“I can offer no nice words for the EU Framework Programmes. They can be praised only by Euro-phobes for discrediting the whole idea of an effectively working Europe.”

My predecessor was in shock.

How did the audience react? They clapped.

Those were very harsh words. I’m sure you agree. But it illustrates a negative image some people had of EU funding before Horizon 2020.

So we have come a long way. From a Programme that was seen as bureaucratic and complex. To a Programme that is now one of the simplest in the world.

I want to talk to you today about simplification in three timescales…

Continue reading here