EU auditors find gaps between research grants and market uptake
The Horizon 2020 review examined whether projects got help to turn research into products and services.
The European Court of Auditors found that the industrial leadership funding under Horizon 2020 concentrated on projects at intermediate stages of development. Its report identified less emphasis on work close to the market, where companies prepare a technology for customers or wider use.
The auditors examined whether the European Commission designed and tracked funding to support technology transfer, market uptake and growth by innovative companies. They found that strategic priorities appeared in the work programmes but that the connection between applicants' needs and the design of calls was often unclear.
The review matters for the next funding cycle, when joint calls are expected to support technologies closer to market entry.
