After the Venice Symposium on the European Strategy for Particle Physics the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen seems to be taking a page out of Daft Punks ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger’ playbook for its proposed its budget on July 16 as ‘Horizon Europe 2028 – 2034, Bigger, Simpler, Faster, and More Impactful’.
In numbers: for the EU’s upcoming long-term budget for 2028–2034, the European Commission proposes a doubling of the Horizon Europe budget to €175 billion. This expanded research and innovation programme aims to enhance Europe’s global competitiveness and accelerate real-world solutions — from AI that supports medical professionals, to satellite technologies aiding farmers, to cleaner and smarter ways of living, working, and moving … and at the top of the list for the Moonshots the FCC. But that is not all, the detailed documents explain that up to 20% of the project could be covered by Horizon Europe:
Investing in the European Organization for Nuclear Research’s (CERN) Future Circular Collider, alongside other CERN’s participating countries. The objective is to maintain Europe’s leadership in particle physics research. The funding (up to 20% of the overall cost) could come from Horizon Europe.
This is excellent news and should push the FCC one step closer to its realization.