Societal Challenges

A key part of Horizon 2020 has been designed to focus on the resolution of particular societal challenges – grand issues – that Europe is facing. This challenge-based approach aims at bringing together resources and knowledge across different fields, technologies and disciplines, including social sciences and the humanities to tackle major societal challenges. This will cover activities from research to market with a new focus on innovation-related activities, such as piloting, demonstration, test-beds, and support for public procurement and market uptake.

Funding will focus on the following challenges:

• Health, demographic change and wellbeing
• Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the Bioeconomy
• Secure, clean and efficient energy
• Smart, green and integrated transport
• Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials
• Europe in a changing world - inclusive, innovative and reflective societies
• Secure societies - protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens

Under this pillar:

• Projects are expected to propose holistic, trans-disciplinary approaches to the challenges and questions identified by the Commission
• There's less prescription, allowing applicants freedom to come up with innovative solutions
• There's a strong emphasis on expected impact