Directives and guidelines

Researchers and innovators in Switzerland can participate in Horizon Europe. Swiss entities can apply as Beneficiaries from programme year 2025 onward. Status of Switzerland in Horizon Europe

In view of the above, and if your research topic could have a link or take on another dimension with digitization, we invite you to browse the lists of open calls and, if one of the themes corresponds to you, prepare a project proposal or join a consortium already formed. The following link on the Commission's IT platform can help you find potential partners:

Major events organized by the European Commission are published and updated regularly on the IDEAL-IST website.

Contact for further information

The omnipresence of digital technology is also reflected in the current European framework program for research and innovation (Horizon Europe). Several calls for proposals are open, not only in the specific digital program Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space, but also in other Horizon Europe programs such as Health, Security, Research Infrastructure, Transport, Energy, etc.

The 2023 and 2024 Horizon Europe Cluster 4 work programme (Digital, Industry and Space work programme) has been published by the European Commission, along with the significant budgets earmarked for digitization throughout the framework program and the underlying programs: Funding for Digital in the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework

Horizon Europe includes a budget dedicated to "Digital, industry and space". This budget will develop cutting-edge research and innovation in enabling technologies, such as:

  •     artificial intelligence and robotics
  •     next-generation internet
  •     high-performance computing
  •     Big Data
  •     key digital technologies
  •     5-6G
  •     semiconductors...

It will also help research to combine digital with other technologies. Overall, it is expected that around 35% of Horizon Europe will support work in favor of the digital transition. Horizon Europe's work will be complementary to that of the Digital Europe program.

Digital – Cluster 4 (Euresearch)

Topic Preview 2023

Call for digital proposals (European Commission – Horizon Europe)

Horizon Europe info day - Cluster 4

For other Horizon Europe programs that contain digital elements (Health, Security, etc.) please refer to the specific work programs: Horizon Europe - The Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness pillars

Calls in all Horizon Europe programs

Open calls for proposals - Horizon Europe (Euresearch)

Poster Euresearch Digital in Horizon Europe

The Digital Europe program is a new EU funding program focused on delivering digital technologies to businesses, citizens and public administrations.

Under the transitional arrangement, researchers and innovators in Switzerland now also have the opportunity to participate as beneficiaries in calls for proposals of the Digital Europe Programme, from the 2025 programme year onwards. This means that they can submit their project applications in the role of coordinator. Specific Objectives 3 (Cybersecurity) and 6 (Semiconductors) are exceptions to this; they are only accessible to EU member states and, to a limited extent, to countries in the European Economic Area (EEA).

The digital aspect is strongly present in several other European programs, such as:

For questions about the Digital Europe Programme: digital-europe(at)sbfi.admin.ch.