Swiss-UK deal eases EU Horizon disappointments
14 Nov 2022
Britain and Switzerland have sealed an agreement for collaboration on research and innovation projects.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) links two of Europe’s leading research hubs and comes at a time when both countries have been trying to secure admission to the European Union’s Horizon Europe scheme.
After signing the MoU, science minister George Freeman remarked:
“Research is fundamentally collaborative, and this will be another key step in realising the UK’s ambitions to deepen international R&D partnerships with leading laboratories, countries and industries around the world.
“Switzerland is home to world class research in life science – especially neuroscience and vaccines, quantum, space, fintech and cleantech - and with longstanding links with the UK, it is a key strategic partner for us.”
Freeman’s sentiments were echoed by Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, who heads Switzerland’s Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. He described both countries as world leaders in research and innovation, whose shared principles, values and scientific excellence made them natural partners.
Switzerland has long led in global rankings for innovation and is home to two of Europe’s top 10 universities, in addition to world class research laboratories and companies such as Roche and Novartis, said a UK Government announcement.
Between them the two states boast half of Europe’s top 20 research universities; seven UK universities are in Europe’s top 10.
The memorandum will focus on three areas in particular: deep science, industrial commercialisation and international standards and regulation. The UK is also among the three countries most often cited as an international collaborator by recipients of grants from key grant-giving body the Swiss National Science Foundation
Welcoming the progress made were the heads of the key UK and Swiss grant giving bodies, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, chief executive of UKRI and Matthias Egger, President of the National Research Council of the SNSF.
However, concern remains that neither country enjoys access to the much larger Horizon Europe scheme, whose budget for the period to 2027 tops £81 billion.
The UK’s cessation of EU membership in January 2020 left it attempting to renegotiate membership of Horizon. While associate membership was agreed in principle, it was effectively held up by the continuing dispute with Europe over trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.
Switzerland, which has never been an EU member, had applied to Horizon Europe but been refused after rejecting a wider treaty with the Union.
Failure to gain membership denies a country the right to access Horizon funds or to lead on its collaborative funded projects.
Recently, Universities UK International head Jamie Arrowsmith argued that all parties’ best interest would be served by removing “political impediments” and the ratification of UK and Swiss association to Horizon Europe.
