In order to close the research and innovation gap between the European Member States, the Commission has designed the Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation strategy. Measures supported under this strategy will help low R&I performing EU countries to increase their participation in Horizon Europe.

There is a wide range of actions that can be used to achieve this objective from enhancing research and innovation capacity, spurring national reforms, facilitating brain circulation, launching measures for promoting excellence to creating new collaborative networks across the EU and supporting the opening of established networks to applicants from widening countries.

The 2021-2022 Work Programme will include four traditional widening instruments in addition to a number of novel elements included in the advancing Europe package agreed by the legislators in March 2019 to create impact on the above mentioned actions:

• creating new or upgrading existing centres of excellence (Teaming);
• significantly improving the research and innovation capacity of universities and research organisations (Twinning);
• attracting and maintaining high quality human resources in research organisations (ERA Chair);
• ensuring scientific networking, capacity building and career development support to researchers (COST actions);
• strengthen regional innovation excellence in placed based innovation ecosystems (Excellence hubs);
• transforming the higher education sector and their surrounding ecosystems (European Excellence Initiative);
• involving partners from low R&I performing countries in already selected projects in Pillar 2 (Hop On Facility).