Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

partnerships in the area of smart specialisation. 
Building on a consultation process taking place in 
January 2020, the findings will be used to inform the 
work programme for 2021. 
1.3.3 Summary
The specific details of Horizon Europe are being con-
tinuously refined, and now that the exit of Great Brit-
ain from the European Union has removed an element 
of uncertainty, the final configuration essentially just 
depends on decisions about the next financial frame-
work; meanwhile Horizon 2020 is coming to end of 
its term. The latest data confirm once again the pos-
itive achievements of Austrian institutions and re-
searchers from science and industry under what is 
now the eighth EU Framework Programme for Re-
search and Innovation.
Since the current programme period of Horizon 
2020 comes to an end this year, the data also allow 
– at least on a provisional basis – a positive overall 
assessment of Austria’s participation. Measured in 
terms of participations, Austria is in eleventh posi-
tion in international rankings, just behind Switzer-
land. The total amount of project funding allocated 
to Austria has now reached €1.46 billion. With a suc-
cess rate of 18.2% in terms of participations, Austria 
ranks significantly above the average success rate of 
15.7% for Horizon 2020 and is second only to Bel-
gium (19.2%) amongst the member states of the Eu-
ropean Union. The largest volume of funding for 
Austria was acquired under Pillar III, “Societal Chal-
lenges”, amounting to €564.5 million, a 2.8% share of 
the total for Europe. The largest budget share, rela-
tively speaking, was allocated under Pillar II, “Indus-
trial leadership”, with 3.3%. With a 2.6% share of bud-
get allocations, 2.3% of participations, and 2.3% of 
coordinations, Austrian contributions to the “Excel-

---