On 29 September the EU Commission launched five new EU missions.
These missions are a new collaborative approach to tackle some of the main challenges of our times. They provide a mandate to achieve specific goals in a set timeframe. They will also deliver impact by putting research and innovation into a new role, combined with new forms of governance and collaboration, as well as with a new way of engaging with citizens, including young people. EU Missions are a novelty of the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme for the years 2021-2027.
These missions are a result of a coordinated effort by the Commission to put together the necessary resources in terms of funding programmes, policies and regulations. Their aim is to mobilise and activate public and private actors, such as EU Member States, regional and local authorities, research institutes, farmers, land managers, and much more, to create real impact. Missions will engage with citizens to boost societal uptake of new solutions and approaches.
EU missions are be bold, inspirational, targeted, measurable, looking to achieve realistic goals, whilst linking activities across different disciplines and different types of research and innovation.
In 2019, five Mission Boards were formed to help specify, design and start the implementation of Missions for Horizon Europe and their mandate ends at the end of 2021. Each Mission Board consists of up to 15 experts coming from fields such as innovation, business, science, farming, civil society, communications and media.
The five missions that have been announced are:
- Adaptation to Climate Change: support at least 150 European regions and communities to become climate resilient by 2030;
- Cancer: working with Europe's Beating Cancer Plan to improve the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030 through prevention, cure and solutions to live longer and better;
- Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030;
- 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030;
- A Soil Deal for Europe: 100 living labs and lighthouses to lead the transition towards healthy soils by 2030.
