The European Commission has published its Annual Report on Research and Technological Development Activities of the European Union and the monitoring of Horizon Europe in 2025.
Published on 28 May 2026, the report provides an overview of the European Union’s principal research and innovation developments during 2025, alongside data on the implementation of Horizon Europe.
Research and innovation priorities
The report places research and innovation at the centre of Europe’s competitiveness, sustainability and technological development. Key areas highlighted include:
the green transition, industrial decarbonisation and circularity;
clean and affordable energy;
climate change, biodiversity, water resilience and ocean research;
artificial intelligence, digital technologies and quantum research;
health, biotechnology and the life sciences;
sustainable food systems, agriculture and the bioeconomy;
research and technology infrastructure;
innovation ecosystems and support for startups and scaleups.
These priorities are also reflected across Horizon Europe’s major thematic clusters, including Health; Digital, Industry and Space; Climate, Energy and Mobility; and Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment.
A growing international research landscape
The report highlights the international reach of Horizon Europe. Projects funded during the first five years of the programme involved more than 31,000 participating organisations from 175 countries.
It also notes that the EU continued to deepen strategic cooperation with global partners during 2025, including India through the EU–India Trade and Technology Council. This wider context is particularly relevant for universities and research institutions seeking to build international partnerships around shared scientific, technological and societal challenges.
Relevance for Nordic–India cooperation
Many of the priorities identified in the report align closely with areas of existing and potential cooperation between Nordic and Indian universities.
These include renewable energy, climate adaptation, water management, sustainable cities, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, health, biotechnology, sustainable agriculture, food systems, circular economy and inclusive societal development.
Nordic institutions bring internationally recognised expertise in sustainability, clean technologies, research-led innovation and interdisciplinary approaches. Indian institutions offer substantial scientific capacity, diverse research environments, strong technology ecosystems and opportunities to examine global challenges across a wide range of social, economic and environmental contexts.
Collaboration between the two regions can therefore contribute not only to high-quality research, but also to the development, testing and application of knowledge across very different settings.
Universities at the centre of Horizon Europe
Higher education institutions remain the largest category of Horizon Europe participants. According to the report, they account for 35% of participating organisations and have received approximately €19 billion—the largest financial contribution awarded to any participant category.
For the Nordic Centre in India and its member universities, the report offers useful strategic context for identifying common research priorities, building stronger connections with Indian institutions and exploring participation in wider European and international research frameworks.
The full report is available through EUR-Lex at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2026:255:FIN
