European cooperation
The RCF promotes European research cooperation and the European Research Area (ERA) in two main ways. Firstly, our experts act as Finland’s representatives on committees of the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and advise and support applicants seeking funding from the programme. These tasks are closely coordinated with Finnish ministries and Business Finland. Secondly, we sponsor partnerships with the EU and European funding agencies through various thematic calls.
The European Research Area (ERA) aims to create an internal market for research, innovation and technology in the EU. The ERA promotes, among other things, the free movement of researchers and scientific knowledge, the development of EU and national research policies and funding, joint research infrastructures, open science and research ethics, and the utilisation of publicly funded research and citizen participation.
The ERA was launched in 2000, in the context of the Lisbon strategy. The ERA’s current objectives are set out in the Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe (2021 (PDF). Alongside this document, the Council adopted the ERA Policy Agenda 2022–2024 (PDF), which contains 20 actions for the development of the ERA.
The policy agenda for 2025–2027 was adopted in May 2025.
The Research Council of Finland participates in many ways in promoting the objectives of the ERA at both national and European level. The RCF has been and will continue to be actively involved in, among other things, maintaining and developing European research infrastructures, reforming research assessment, promoting open science and increasing research security. We carry out this work both internally and through national cooperation and European forums.
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Horizon Europe has established a new form of funding cooperation, European Partnerships. There are three types: Co-programmed European Partnerships, Co-funded European Partnerships and Institutionalised European Partnerships. These are larger and more multidisciplinary than the previous ERA-NET, Joint Programming and European Joint Programme networks.
The European Partnerships aim at building more impactful wholes, the results of which can be better utilised at policy level. The aim is also to create more synergies between EU policy and various EU programmes. The funding for the partnerships comes partly from national sources, partly through EU programmes. The partnerships have been launched in three steps (2021–2022, 2023–2024 and 2025–2027) as part of the Horizon Europe work packages.
The RCF participates in co-funded partnerships and their calls at the strategic discretion of the RCF Subcommittee for International Research Cooperation.
Current European partnerships co-funded by the RCF:
During 2025 and 2026, a total of six new European partnerships will be launched, in which the RCF has made a preliminary commitment to participate:
- Brain Health
- One Health AMR – Anti Microbial Resistance
- Forest and Forestry
- Resilient Cultural Heritage
- Social Transformations and Resilience
- Raw Materials for the Green and Digital Transition
The RCF acts as Finland’s National Contact Point (NCP) for Horizon Europe together with Business Finland. The National Contact Point (NCP) responsibilities are divided between the RCF and Business Finland.
The RCF has the main responsibility for Horizon Europe Pillar 1, Excellent Science, which includes the European Research Council (ERC), Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and research infrastructures. In addition, we have the main responsibility for clusters 1 (Health) and 2 (Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society) under pillar 2, Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness Our science advisers are also active in NCP and expert roles in other parts of the programme.
EU Research and Innovation Programmes (EUTI) is the official information office for EU R&D in Finland. Committee delegates and experts and NCPs are listed on the EUTI website.
ERA-NET is a funding instrument of the EU Framework Programme that contributes to the promotion of cooperation between national research programmes and research funding agencies with a view to promoting research in Europe. ERA-NETs connect national or regional programmes, support cooperation and coordination between national and regional research programmes, increase the systematic exchange of information among programmes and chart obstacles to cooperation.
ERA-NETs organise multinational calls for joint research projects in fields chosen by the members of each network. The Commission’s funding for ERA-NETs has ended, but some networks have continued as independent funding networks or as part of Joint Programming. The RCF has also continued to participate in some of their activities and to fund the calls they organise.
Current ERA-NETs and other EU networks co-funded by the RCF:
Another form of European cooperation launched during the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme is Joint Programming, which is based on major European or global challenges that cannot be solved by national efforts alone.
Joint Programming enables a more coordinated approach by pooling together national resources such as research expertise, financial resources, research equipment, data and results. Additional value is provided by the opportunity to compile large-scale, comprehensive long-term programmes and by improved coordination and cooperation between different countries.
Some Joint Programming networks are still in operation, although Horizon 2020 has ended. The RCF still co-funds one initiative:
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The RCF runs a joint Brussels office with Business Finland. The office actively maintains contact with the European Commission and European and Finnish research actors in Brussels.
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