SYNERGIES BETWEEN HORIZON EUROPE AND COHESION POLICY: AN ANALYSIS OF MECHANISMS, IMPACTS, AND FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR EUROPEAN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

The synergy between Horizon Europe and Cohesion Policy plays a critical role in achieving the EU's goals of sustainable growth, innovation, and regional development by enabling the effective implementation of scientific research and innovative projects across a broad geographical area. Therefore EU has been supporting synergies between funding programs since the Horizon 2020 and has been providing new tools to member states for reducing regional disparities. This study explores the evolving relationship between Horizon Europe and Cohesion Policy by identifying key areas of complementarity and analyzing the main mechanisms established to foster synergies. Building on a critical review of policy documents and evaluation reports from the Horizon 2020 period, the study analyses how previous policy experiences and identified limitations have shaped the development of synergy mechanisms in the 2021–2027 programming cycle. The research highlights the strategic logic and implementation tools introduced with Horizon Europe to enhance complementarity with Cohesion Policy. It focuses on the intended synergy between the two frameworks by examining the objectives, instruments, and governance structures designed to facilitate coordinated action. This analysis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current synergy landscape and its relevance for the EU’s research and innovation policy context.