OFFICIAL

HORIZON 2020 & EU-CHINA RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS

Overview
In June, 2017, commissioner Moedas and Minister Wan Gang signed an administrative arrangement renewing the
EU-China co-funding mechanism also see: Roadmap for EU-China S&T Cooperation (published October 2017).

For the period 2018-2020, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) will reserve an annual budget of
200 million RMB (more than €25 million per year) for the benefit of China-based entities that will participate in
projects with European partners under Horizon 2020. The EC has reserved a budget of over €100 million for the
benefit of Europe-based entities in Horizon 2020 projects with Chinese participants. The CFM will be primarily used
for EC-MoST Flagship initiatives and other Horizon 2020 topics targeting China (see: ‘flagged topics’ below) but it will
also be open other areas of Horizon 2020. The per-project ceiling of MoST grants under the CFM is 5m RMB and the
project duration should normally be no more than 3 years. Details of the CFM can be found here. The EU budget for
MSCA Global Fellowships has also increased from €30m to €48m per year.

Flagship Initiatives
• Food, Agriculture and Biotechnologies (FAB) Flagship Initiative
With the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)

Total
Total
Chinese
Topic Title Deadline 1 Deadline 2 European
Funding
Funding (€)
(RMB)
SFS-37-2019: Integrated approaches to food 23 January 4 September
8,000,000 60,000,000
safety controls across the agri-food chain 2019 2019
SFS-38-2018: Highly efficient management of 13 February 11 September
5,000,000 40,000,000
soil quality and land resources 2018 2018
CE-SFS-39-2019: High-quality organic fertilisers
N/A 23 Jan 2019 5,000,000 40,000,000
from biogas digestate
SFS-40-2020 - Healthy soils for healthy food
2020 2020 N/A N/A
production

• Environment and Sustainable Urbanisation

With MoST

Total
Total
Chinese
Topic Title Deadline 1 Deadline 2 European
Funding
Funding (€)
(RMB)
SC5-13-2018-2019: Strengthening
international cooperation on sustainable
urbanisation: nature-based solutions for
27 Feb 2018 04 Sep 2018 10,000,000 80,000,000
restoration and rehabilitation of urban
ecosystems. a) Strengthening EU-China
collaboration (2018)
SC5-25-2020: Strengthening EU-China
cooperation on sustainable urbanisation: 2020 2020 N/A N/A
Enhanced natural treatment solutions for
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water security and ecological quality of water
in cities

• Surface Transport
With MoST

Total
Total
Chinese
Topic Title Deadline 1 Deadline 2 European
Funding
Funding (€)
(RMB)
LC-MG-1-1-2018: InCo flagship on reduction of
transport impact on air quality C) Sensing and
30 Jan 2018 19 Sep 2018 30,000,000 230,000,000
monitoring emission in urban road
transportation system (China)

• Biotechnologies
Co-funded by NSFC – 15m RMB total matched funding per competition.

Total
Total
Chinese
Topic Title Deadline 1 Deadline 2 European
Funding
Funding (€)
(RMB)
CE-BIOTEC-04-2018: New biotechnologies for 31 October
25 Apr 2018 10,000,000 80,000,000
environmental remediation 2017
CE-BIOTEC-05-2019: Microorganism 16 October
24 Apr 2019 10,000,000 80,000,000
communities for plastics bio-degradation (RIA) 2018
NMBP-21-2020: Custom-made biological
scaffolds for specific tissue regeneration and 2020 2020 N/A N/A
repair (RIA) (Information to be published soon)

• Aviation Flagship Initiative ECDG Research and Innovation (DG RTD), co-funded by Chinese Ministry of
Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)

Total
Total
Chinese
Topic Title Deadline 1 Deadline 2 European
Funding (€)
Funding
(RMB)
LC-MG-1-6-2019: Aviation operations impact on
climate change

C) Propose and evaluate mitigation strategies

towards greener flight trajectories (ensuring 04 December
24 Apr 2019 10,000,000 80,000,000
complementarities with SESAR JU activities.(China) 2018

D) Propose and evaluate mitigation strategies

based on changes in the use of alternative fuels
(China)
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Flagged Topics
These areas have been specifically identified as eligible under the MoST co-funding mechanism, with 26 calls
announced under these themes (full details here).

• New-generation information networks - 5G communication technology, optical communication technology,

CPU technology, Internet-of-things technology, virtual reality technology, quantum communication and
quantum computing, big data technology
• Intelligent and green manufacturing - High-end numerical control machine and intelligent robotics, electric
power equipment, next generation semi-conductor, additive manufacturing, new energy equipment, micro-
nano manufacturing, gas turbine
• Safe, clean and efficient modern energy - Clean coal utilisation technology, marine wind power technology,
smart grid technology, hydrogen fuel cell technology, nuclear energy utilisation and nuclear
decommissioning technology
• Advanced effective, safe and convenient health – Bio-pharmaceuticals, precision medicine, high
performance medical devices, prevention and treatment of major infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance,
regenerative medicine, medical big data, medical robots, aging services technology, traditional Chinese
medicines
• Marine equipment - Marine engineering equipment and high tech ships, deep sea oil and gas, natural gas
hydrate, deep sea operation
• Space - Space equipment, space science and technology, satellite application technology (small satellite and
load technology), remote sensing (deep-space exploration, satellite imaging, atmospheric observation, lunar-
based observation)
• New materials - Graphene technology, nanomaterials, high performance structure and composite materials,
advanced semi-conductor materials, advanced light alloy materials, advanced functional and intelligent
materials, catalytic materials
• Large science facilities research
• Public security - Disaster warning and treatment, food and drug safety inspection

Because China is so important for H2020 (and vice versa, see this recent op-ed for the EU Observer by China’s
ambassador to the EU Zhang Ming), colleagues from DG RTD of the Commission often prepare their own analysis of
calls targeting China. See here for more information.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

MoST:
Mr. Dai Qian, Email: daiq@most.cn or hzs_ozc@most.cn Tel. +86 10 58881358

China Science and Technology Exchange Center (CSTEC)

Mr. Xin Bingqing E-mail: xinbq@cstec.org.cn Tel: +86 10 68598404

UKRO:
European Advisors at UKRO: ukro@bbsrc.ac.uk Tel: +32 2230 5275

Delegation of the EU to China:

Diego Sammaratino diego.sammaritano@ec.europa.eu

List and availability of local National Contact Points

EU-China Science and Technology Cooperation Promotion Office (CECO):
http://www.cstec.org.cn/ceco/en/index.aspx

Regional Contact Points:

http://www.dragon-star.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/China-RCP-Contact-May-2014.pdf