Horizon Europe, the European Union’s ambitious research and innovation program, was launched in April 2021 with a staggering budget of EUR 95.5 billion. Designed to drive green and digital recovery across Europe, the program is now over halfway through its 2021–2027 cycle. So, how is Slovakia faring in this competitive landscape?

A promising start

Slovakia has made a strong showing in Horizon Europe, boasting a project proposal success rate of 21.84 %. This is significantly higher than the programme’s average success rate of 16.93 %, signalling that when Slovak organizations participate, they do so effectively.

However, despite this success, Slovakia’s overall involvement in the programme remains limited due to a relatively low number of submitted proposals.

Key Statistics

• Project Proposals
  Slovak entities were involved in 1,172 eligible project proposals, collectively requesting EUR 537 million from the EU.
• Approved Projects
  Out of these, 256 proposals were approved, leading to 251 funded projects with the participation of 154 Slovak organizations.
• Funding Received
  The total net EU contribution to Slovakia from these projects stands at EUR 86.6 million.

Who’s Leading the Way?

Slovak universities and colleges are leading contributors to the Horizon Europe programme, accounting for 35 % of the total contributions from Slovak organizations. Close behind are private companies (34.1 %) and research institutions (18.6 %).

Among the top-performing institutions are:

• PEDAL Consulting: 20 participations[1]
• Comenius University in Bratislava: 14 participations
• Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava: 12 participations

Challenges and Areas for Improvement

Despite its successes, Slovakia faces several challenges:

• Low Number of Submitted Proposals
  The country’s overall participation is hampered by the low number of project proposals submitted by Slovak organizations.
• Limited Participation
  A small number of researchers and research teams are involved in the program, reducing Slovakia’s overall impact.
• Underrepresentation in Project Leadership
  Slovak organizations often play smaller roles in project consortia, with fewer opportunities to lead projects or secure substantial budgets.

PEDAL Consulting’s role in Horizon Europe

Since the launch of Horizon Europe, PEDAL Consulting has been actively involved in various projects. With more than 20 project participations, we have been able to apply our expertise across several important thematic areas, helping to address key challenges facing Europe today.

More than 10 % of eligible proposals from Slovakia were submitted by PEDAL Consulting. The same percentage applies also to the number of funded projects.

Key Areas of Success

PEDAL Consulting, together with other Slovak companies, have been particularly successful in projects related to:

• European Institute of Innovation and Technology: Where the projects we participated in have had a 100 % success rate.
• Research Infrastructures: Achieving a success rate of 64 %.
• Reforming and Enhancing the European Research and Innovation System: With a 41 % success rate.

These areas are crucial to Europe’s future. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to these initiatives.

Supporting Slovakia’s Innovation Landscape

Our participation in Horizon Europe has been part of a broader effort to enhance Slovakia’s role in European research and innovation.

We have worked alongside universities, research institutions, and private organizations to ensure that Slovakia remains a strong and reliable partner within Horizon Europe. We have been fortunate to collaborate with leading institutions, helping to bring innovative solutions to life.

Looking Ahead

PEDAL Consulting reached a top position among small and medium enterprises not only in Slovakia, but also in the V4 countries, the Baltic states, Northern Europe and much in the Balkans.

As we look to the future, we remain dedicated to the successful implementation of all approved grants at the highest quality.

Moreover, such a unique standing provides us with a favourable starting line for our new strategy, which shifts our main focus from non-profit innovation projects to predominantly commercial activities. 

Our focus will always remain on delivering high-quality results, supporting sustainable development, and contributing to the long-term goals of European or any other innovation actions.

Source:
Statistics from the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information published in the article “Over Three Years of Horizon Europe Implementation in Numbers: How is Slovakia Doing?”.

You can find it in the Slovak language here:
https://eraportal.sk/aktualita/viac-ako-tri-roky-implementacie-horizontu-europa-v-cislach-ako-je-na-tom-slovensko/

[1]Additional selected proposals are currently in the grant agreement preparation phase.