Policy paper

Pioneer: global science for global good

A UK prospectus for opportunities beyond Horizon Europe.

• From: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
• Published: 6 April 2023

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

Documents

Pioneer: global science for global good

PDF, 1.25 MB, 53 pages

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Details

The Pioneer prospectus sets out how the government plans to protect and support UK science, research, technology and innovation (SRTI) sectors, should association to Horizon Europe on fair and appropriate terms not be possible.

The government is discussing association to Horizon Europe with the EU and hopes these negotiations will be successful. That is our preference. But association would need to be on the basis of a good deal for the UK’s researchers, businesses and taxpayers. If we are not able to secure association on fair and appropriate terms, we will implement Pioneer – our bold, ambitious alternative.

We are grateful to all the researchers and businesses who contributed to these proposals. The government would welcome views from the sector as these programmes are further developed.

The 4 interconnected offers that comprise Pioneer have been designed in partnership with the UK SRTI sectors and would provide them with more funding over this Spending Review period and across the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) than would have been available via Horizon Europe, had we associated in 2021.

The offers include:

• Pioneer Talent which would enhance the UK’s investment in discovery research as well as the UK’s already strong talent offer
• Pioneer Global which would complement and enhance partners’ existing international partnerships
• Pioneer Innovation which would increase UK support to business-led innovation across sectors, technologies and UK regions
• Pioneer Infrastructure which would provide additional funding into UK SRTI infrastructure, building on successful programmes such as World Class labs

An overview of future considerations of UK alternatives for the Copernicus and Euratom R&T programmes is also included.

We would welcome views on this prospectus. If you have views you would like to share, please email Pioneer@beis.gov.uk.

We will not be able to respond on an individual basis but all comments will inform the government’s future development of this programme.

Published 6 April 2023