OREANDA-NEWS. December 16, 2013. Practical realization of a new large-scale European scientific program for research and innovation Horizon-2020 has commenced. With the view to the fact that the mentioned program shall facilitate raising of effectiveness of implementation of scientific-research and innovation work, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov has commissioned to create national contact points (NCPs) infrastructure in Ukraine to enable all the scientists to be involved into the EU joint projects.

The head of the Agency for Science, Innovation and Informatization V. Semynozhenko informed that the NCPs must connect opportunities of sector, academic and university science in preparing propositions in the framework of European priorities. “It is a concrete step that facilitates integration of Ukrainian scientists with the international scientific environment,” he stressed.

V. Semynozhenko noted that Ukraine possesses a sufficient scientific potential for participation in these projects. “Ukrainians have been acknowledged in the European research area due to the scientific support of realization in Ukraine of the EU Strategy for the Danube region, participation in CERN and EISCAT projects,” he emphasized.  

According to him, creating of a new network of the national contact points Horizon-2020 will enable Ukraine’s scientists to participate in large international programs and projects of the European Commission, in particular the JRC, Euroatom association, implementation of which corresponds to priority topical directions of scientific research and scientific-technical solutions and have importance for the development of Ukraine.

The program will be introduced through 2014 – 2020. The budget of the European scientific program for research and innovation Horizon-2020 for 2014-2020 is planned in the amount of Eur 70 bln.