Good opportunities for cooperation with Ukraine through Horizon Europe

Ukraine is an associated country to the EU's Framework Programme for research and Innovation, Horisont Europa. This means that Ukrainian organisations participate on the same term as member states, which provides an opportunity for Swedish actors to collaborate with researchers, companies and public actors in Ukraine. Associated countries have full access to the programme's calls for proposals and can both lead and participate in project consortia, so Ukraine is a fully integrated partner in the European research and innovation landscape.

Horizon Europe is Sweden's most important tool for international cooperation in research and innovation, and the EU is fundamentally a peace project. By including Ukrainian organisations in project, resources, contacts and long-term capacity are created that are not only good for Sweden but also strengthen Ukraine's resilience and ability to rebuild.

(Jenny Wanselius, Head of the EU Unit, Vinnova)

Swedish actors are already participating in several project together with Ukrainian partners. In the CircHive project, RISE and Stora Enso contribute to the development of new methods to make the value of nature visible in economic decisions – a work in which Ukrainian organisations are part of the broad European consortium. The ARGO project, in which Umeå University is one of the partners, also shows how interdisciplinary research collaboration across borders can drive new materials and technologies for the dental care of the future.

Opportunities to cooperate with Ukraine

In the future, there are good opportunities for more Swedish actors to develop partnerships with Ukraine. Several upcoming calls for proposals within Horizon Europe require Ukrainian participation and are aimed at areas where Sweden has strong expertise. This applies, among other things:

• Capacity building in cancer research, with and for Ukraine (HORIZON‑MISS‑2026‑02‑CANCER‑06)
• Open Innovation Initiative for Better Soil Health in Ukraine (HORIZON‑MISS‑2026‑05‑SOIL‑03)
• Research infrastructures supporting Ukraine's integration into the European Research Area (HORIZON-INFRA-2026-DEV-01-05)
• Strengthening Forest Research in support of Ukraine (HORIZON‑CL6‑2027‑01‑CIRCBIO‑10)

In addition to these, there are more calls for proposals where Ukrainian participation is encouraged.

Where can I find more information about Ukraine cooperation?

The European Commission collects current information about collaborations and opportunities on its website about Ukraine and Horizon Europe:
https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-research-and-innovation/europe-world/international-cooperation/association-horizon-europe/ukraine_en

Do you have any questions? Contact our national contacts within Horizon Europe or Bianca Dochtorowicz, contact person for collaborations with Ukraine.

Links

Specific support for Ukrainian research and innovation

CircHive project: Developing & piloting biodiversity footprinting & natural capital accounting via a 'beehive' of sectoral hubs, for sustainable transition to a circular EU bioeconomy

The ARGO project: Towards development of new antibacterial strategy for dentistry

National contact persons for Horizon Europe