ERA4Health Partnership

On June 10, 2025, the 3rd ERA4Health Synergies Workshop was held, focusing on how to effectively combine structural funds—such as Cohesion Funds—with programmes like Horizon Europe. This combination aims to maximize the impact of research and innovation funding, particularly in countries with historically lower participation (widening countries).

According to the registration data, 99 people signed up for the event, including 23 ERA4Health members, 20 funding advisors, 35 researchers, 14 representatives from other initiatives and/or members of the Synergies Working Group, 4 institutional representatives, and 3 participants from other profiles such as auditors.

Institutional Welcome

The institutional welcome was delivered by Cristina Nieto from ISCIII, coordinator of the ERA4Health partnership, who emphasized the importance of establishing synergies between different European initiatives.

Allan Padar, from the Estonian Research Council and representative of the RIMA Network, presented the key findings of the report “Synergies between Horizon Europe and Cohesion Policy Funds”, which outlines six types of synergies recognized by the European Commission:

Seal of Excellence
Transfers between funds.
Cumulative funding
European partnerships
Centres of excellence (teaming)
Upstream/downstream synergies

In his presentation, Allan highlighted the benefits of establishing synergies, such as reducing administrative burden, improving resource efficiency, and strengthening regional capacities.

Next, María González from FICYT presented the ERA4Health Synergies Work Package, with special emphasis on the synergy portfolio and the Synergies Working Group, which serves as a collaborative platform where members can share best practices and lessons learned relevant to all initiatives.

Lucas Segal, senior consultant at PredictBy, presented the findings of the report “Exploring Synergies between Horizon Europe and Cohesion Policy”, which he co-authored and was commissioned by the European Parliament. The report identified major barriers such as the lack of standardized data, differences in timing and regulations across countries, and the low visibility of opportunities—factors that often prevent initiatives from establishing synergies. He recommended the creation of a one-stop shop where researchers and research organizations could find, if not all relevant information in one place, at least the tools and support needed to identify opportunities, establish synergies, and access technical assistance.

The workshop also featured practical case studies of initiatives that had implemented co-funding mechanisms.

Sophie Patricio and Adriano Lima presented Portugal’s experience using ERDF funds to co-finance projects within European partnerships. They emphasized the need for effective coordination between regional and national administrative levels. Drawing from their work in the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, they shared examples from Cyprus, Italy, and Portugal on integrating structural funds into joint calls.

Sonja Priscan presented the Croatian case with the MARBLE Project, a centre of excellence in marine robotics funded by Horizon Europe and Cohesion Funds for infrastructure. She explained that the complementary funds had not yet been activated due to delays in the publication of national calls, as legal, environmental, and cultural heritage issues were still being resolved. According to the Croatian experience, early coordination with public authorities is crucial before launching a project.

Aldo Covello, representative of the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR), served as the workshop moderator. He guided the discussions with precision, ensured the agenda was followed, and played a key role in maintaining the event’s pace, facilitating interaction among speakers and participants, and concluding with a clear synthesis of the challenges and opportunities surrounding European funding synergies.

Despite progress, synergies are still underutilized by many initiatives, likely due to technical, administrative, and strategic challenges. Greater regulatory alignment and process simplification are needed. Nevertheless, the workshop proved to be a valuable space for sharing experiences, identifying common obstacles, and proposing collaborative solutions.