#NEF How a business company implements research projects with European partners

    Horizon Europe  this is the main, currently operating, program of the European Union for the financing of research and innovation. It is aimed at combating climate change, contributes to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and increases the competitiveness and growth of the European Union. Legal entities from the EU and associated countries can participate in the program.

      In 2015, Ukraine became an associate member of the Horizon 2020 program, it provides Ukrainian participants with equal conditions for participation in innovative grant projects with European partners.

      Horizon 2020 this is the largest framework program of the European Union for the financing of science and innovation with a total budget of about EUR 80 billion, which was implemented in 2014-2020. Ivano-Frankivsk company Prykarpattyaoblenergo took part in two projects within the framework of grant programs: eFORT (Horizon Europe) and ELECTRON (Horizon 2020).

      Project eFORT aimed at strengthening cybersecurity, within the ELECTRON project, it is planned to develop a system for training and certification of energy personnel in the field of cybersecurity.  Andriy Hrabchuk spoke about the company's participation in research projects implemented within the framework of Horizon programs.

      It is important to understand how business companies and scientific institutions can participate in such programs. 

Participation in research projects

      Andrew, what generally gives your company participation in such research projects? After all, projects last for several years, this is a significant resource of the team and time.
      Firstly, during such projects, a certain final product is created that will be useful for us. In fact, within the framework of the projects, we work together with our partners on innovative ways of solving our own needs.    

      The consortium of each project - and this is sometimes more than 20 participants from a dozen European countries – everyone is working on creating products that can be used and that will eventually have commercial potential. During these projects, we conduct research involving partners: scientific institutions, universities, research institutes from various European countries. Thus, we get the results of the project in the form of scientific research on topics that are interesting and useful to us, create services, technical and software solutions that we either already use or will use. That is, first of all it is an innovative product, which is aimed at strengthening the security and stability of the company's power grids.

      On the other hand, we are constantly in contact with the consortium members. Such communication always leads to the birth of new ideas, exchange of experience. In addition to the immediate results of the project, there is a big separate bonus - to have access to information from places where advanced science is being created. Communicating within the framework of one project gives birth to the ideas of the following ones. Proven fact: when we are in an innovative environment, new ideas appear much easier than outside of it.

      More information on the website.

       Implement the "New Economy of Ivano-Frankivsk" project together with the Executive Committee of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council, the Promprylad.Renovation, innovation center, the METALAB urban laboratory, the PPV Knowledge Networks economic development agency, and the Warm City platform.