Followers of our social media channels and readers of our blog will already have heard the names of our research projects: CULTURATI, Innosale, I-Delta, Optimum - to name just a few. But why do we, as an IT company, participate in these kinds of research and development projects at all? And how does Europe, in particular the European Union, benefit from the results of the work?
Why do EU-funded projects exist at all?
For many citizens, the European Union is often a rather abstract construct: we know that there is a European Parliament, consisting of representatives from the individual member states, and that it meets in Brussels. But the work being done in the background usually remains unclear.
The European Parliament, as it is also known, is more than just debates about the curvature of a cucumber. The EU's fundamental aim is to equalize and improve the living conditions of all citizens in all member states. For this reason, the EU promotes projects that support this goal.
'United in diversity' - the motto of the European Union
What EU funding is there?
It is not the case, however, that project initiators can simply write a letter to the European Commission and then have the money they need transferred to their account. Unfortunately, applying for funding for projects in the areas of innovation, regional development, preservation of cultural monuments and much more is bureaucratic and requires a high degree of precision. In addition, it must be clear from which source of funding the money is actually going to come, and of course all of the various requirements must be met.
For example, the CULTURATI project, in which we at IOTIQ are involved, receives its funding from EU HORIZON, which supports innovation and research in general. Projects that serve to improve infrastructure in structurally weak regions would receive equivalent funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), for example. By pooling financial resources, more and more complex projects can be implemented than would have been possible in each European region individually.
What is the impact of EU-funded projects?
Some of the effects of EU projects are directly tangible, for example when new bike paths are built or historic buildings worthy of preservation are renovated. The starting point for every project is a person, whether a private individual, a local politician or a scientist, who sees a need and proposes a solution in the form of a feasible project.
European projects therefore always have concrete objectives and all project partners in the consortium have clear tasks and roles that they take on, which in turn are linked to specific KPIs that must be achieved.
However, EU-funded projects are not necessarily limited to the member states; in the CULTURATI project, for example, the Turkish project partners are the initiators and have an overview of the project's progress. An overview of already successful programs can be found here.
Basically, it can be said that the exchange of various experts from different disciplines results in a general exchange of resources and knowledge. Regular meetings (online and on site) create an understanding of the work of partner country experts - something that is always influenced by the culture of the country. Everyone involved in a project must therefore learn to look beyond culture-specific concerns to a certain extent and work towards communication that is European - a way of communicating that is understood and accepted by everyone involved.
The EU itself naturally conducts studies on how its projects are perceived.
Unfortunately, overall awareness that these projects exist is still quite low: in 2023, 39% of Europeans surveyed said they were aware of the projects. Of these, however, 79% noted that they would recognize the positive effect. This shows that there is still room for improvement in communication. (Source: Eurobarometer)
The CULTURATI project accordingly has a dedicated strategy to make the population aware of the project's objectives, progress and participants. Other projects and the EU itself also use social media to draw attention to projects, referendums and much more.
Summary
Let's take another look back: 9151 projects have already been successfully implemented for the HORIZON Europe funding program alone. The total number of projects carried out since the EU was founded clearly exceeds this figure, even if there is no summarizing overview. Cross-border projects strengthen the understanding of other cultures, their customs and ways of communicating and offer the opportunity to broaden horizons in a scientific and personal sense.
Project participants from different countries have different research focuses, different skills and approach projects in very different ways, but are united by a common goal. The EU's funding programs therefore embody the ideal of the European Union even on a small scale.