On 4 May the European Union joined forces with global partners to kick-start the Coronavirus Global Response, a worldwide pledging effort to raise 7.5 billion Euro of funding to rapidly develop and deploy universally available and affordable diagnostics, treatments and vaccines against the coronavirus. The opening event already raised 7.4 billion Euro, which marks the role of research and innovation in the worldwide pledging marathon, which will continue in the following weeks.
To help reach the objectives of the Coronavirus Global Response, 1 billion Euro will be mobilised under the EU’s flagship programme for research and innovation, Horizon 2020, wich CURSOR is funded under. The 1 billion Euro from Horizon 2020 can be broken down in:
- 450 Euro million for developing scientific solutions for testing, treating and preventing against the coronavirus and developing health systems
- 400 Euro million EC guarantee of the European Investment Bank lending to finance precommercial stage investments in COVID-19 research and development (including scale up of production facilities)
- 150 Euro million for disruptive innovations on COVID-19 under the European Innovation Council’s Accelerator
The Commission has been launching several specific Research and Innovation (R&I) actions through Horizon 2020 since the beginning of the current crisis. These actions address epidemiology, preparedness and response to outbreaks, the development of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines, as well as the infrastructures and resources that enable these R&I activities. In order to accelerate the development of vaccines, new treatments, diagnostic tests and reinforce medical systems in the fight against the coronavirus, it is important to further step up the mobilisation of funds under Horizon 2020 in order to contribute to the Global Response pledging marathon launched on 4 May 2020.
Video: EU Research and Innovation: United against Coronavirus
