The Stick to Science campaign is initiated as a pan-European effort to expedite the association of Switzerland and the United Kingdom (UK) to Horizon Europe. The signatories believe that collaboration in science, research and innovation in Europe is more important than ever as we face some of the world’s greatest challenges. At present, the association of the UK and Switzerland to Horizon Europe has been delayed and there is no clear vision of the eventual outcome. Europe’s position in the world would be stronger with robust research collaborations that contribute to a prosperous European research and innovation landscape.

The Stick to Science campaign brings together the voice of researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators, research funding/performing bodies, umbrella organisations, etc. for an open R&I landscape in Europe and at international level, without political barriers. First supporters have produced videos  explaining why they are supporting the #StickToScience campaign. Watch them here.

Horizon Europe’s  first grants are presently being signed; therefore, it is important to secure the association of long-standing partner countries such as Switzerland and UK, in order not to ensure continuity of existing partnerships and projects and the continued strength of Europe as a whole.  Since the EU finalised the association of numerous countries at the end of 2021, there is no time to waste for the association of the UK and Switzerland. 

The Stick to Science campaign calls for an open and barrier-free R&I collaboration among Europe’s research and innovation actors, via the association of the UK and Switzerland to Horizon Europe. 

The signatories urge the EU, the UK and Switzerland to rapidly reach association agreements so that the two countries can contribute scientifically and financially to the strength of Horizon Europe and to a truly open, inclusive and excellence-driven European Research Area.

The campaign aims to consolidate the voice of European scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators, umbrella organisations and funding bodies for an open science and innovation landscape.

The initiative is a pan-European endeavour, with the support of prominent representatives from a wide range of EU Member States, the UK and Switzerland. The campaign is set in motion by the Presidents of ETH Zurich (Prof. Joël Mesot), EPFL (Prof. Martin Vetterli), ETH Board (Prof. Michael Hengartner), Universities UK, the umbrella organisation of 140 UK universities, Wellcome and the Royal Society. The initiative is funded by the 6 co-initiator institutions. 

The European research and innovation community is strongest when the best minds from each country are able to freely connect and share their ideas.

The UK and Switzerland have contributed significantly to the budget and bring valuable expertise to thousands of collaborative projects through previous framework programmes. In particular, Switzerland has brought expertise in fields such as health, ecology and climate, and quantum technologies, as the most active associated country. Meanwhile, the UK has been one of the most frequent collaborative partners for many Member States, given the breadth and depth of its research. For instance, 26% of all international papers on COVID-19 have had at least one UK co-author.

Also, successful Europe-wide cooperation in world-leading research infrastructures such as the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble, the new European Spallation Source in Lund (ESS), and even CERN, some of which have been in place for decades, show that Europe needs the commitment and scientific contributions of particularly strong research-focused countries such as Switzerland and the UK.

The EU finalised the association of numerous third countries at the end of 2021, but progress has stalled toward the association of the UK and Switzerland for political reasons unrelated to research.

Switzerland has been a committed partner in the EU research and innovation programmes for more than forty years. It was associated to EU R&I programmes for 16 years (from 2004 until the end of 2020), when the 8th Framework Programme for R&I, Horizon 2020, ended. Switzerland is committed to continue its contribution to a strong European Research and Innovation Area through a continued association to Horizon Europe, to the Euratom Programme, the participation in ITER, as well as the association to the Digital Europe Programme. The Swiss Parliament adopted the corresponding financial envelope of some 5.6bn Euro and the Federal Council formally adopted Switzerland’s negotiation mandate in December 2020. On the Swiss side, all steps for the start of the official negotiations with the EU are; therefore, fulfilled. Information from the Swiss government about the current status of Switzerland in EU R&I programmes can be found under: www.horizon-europe.ch.

On the EU side, a political link is currently in place with the general CH-EU relations; however, negotiation talks have not yet started.

The UK and EU mutually committed to the UK’s association to Horizon programme as part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, signed on the UK’s departure from the EU. A budget has been set aside to cover the cost of the UK participation. However the finalisation of this agreement has not progressed. 

The associated countries contribute scientifically and financially to the European R&I landscape. The association of third countries in EU R&I programmes boosts the available budget for European cooperation, as associated countries pay an annual contribution covering their effective participation and costs to run the EU programmes. The UK and Switzerland, if to be associated, are estimated to add another €17.2 billion to the Horizon Europe budget of 95.5 B€, representing a top-up of 18%, and allowing greater collaborative resources for Europe to be put into world-leading research projects.

Swiss and UK partners also contribute to key areas of knowledge, for example, in quantum technologies: Switzerland is a pioneer in quantum research and provides decisive building blocks for the European development of quantum technologies. Following Switzerland’s recent exclusion, certain EU projects will experience delays of several years without Swiss technology and collaboration.

Sources: Gov.uk: Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 and Added Value of Swiss Participation in the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation

Horizon Europe is the name of the European Union’s (EU) 9th Framework Programme – the main instrument by which the EU implements its common science and technology policy, which is built on a foundation of European scientific collaboration that dates back to the 1950s.

See “About Horizon Europe” in the Factsheet for further details.

The Horizon Europe budget for the period between 2021-2027 is the largest research and innovation funding programme in the world with almost €97 bn (CHF 100.7 bn, £80.6 bn) including EURATOM, a funding programme to Horizon Europe which covers nuclear research and innovation. Associated countries can (would) top-up this budget with their own association contributions.

See “About Horizon Europe” in the Factsheet for further details.