European Partnerships

European Partnerships create a platform for strengthened and structured collaboration and knowledge exchange between various actors in the European R&I system and enhanced coordination of strategic research agendas and/or R&I funding programmes. They are based on agreed objectives and a long-term vision, underpinned by Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas (SRIAs) to which all partners in the partnership commit. This is a key feature that distinguishes European Partnerships from other collaborative research instruments. Partnerships also enhance cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration and integration of value chains and ecosystems, improving integration of sectoral R&I policies, notably through more systematic and extended reach and engagement of stakeholders such as end-users and public authorities.

In Horizon Europe, there are three different implementation modes for European Partnerships.

Co-funded

Co-funding of joint programmes of R&I activities between R&I funders. They are based on a Horizon Europe Grant Agreement signed by the Commission and a consortium of partners, generally composed of R&I funders and other public authorities.

Institutionalised partnerships

Joint Undertakings (JUs): long-term collaborations with private (sometimes also public) partners requiring a high degree of integration.

Article 185 initiatives: long-term collaborations with public partners requiring a high degree of integration.

European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) – Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs): Europe-wide innovation ecosystems that integrate education, research and entrepreneurship. They are established in compliance with the EIT regulation and the EIT strategic Innovation Agenda.

Co-programmed

Joint programming of R&I activities and mobilisation of additional activities by partners in line with the objectives of the partnership. They are based on a Memorandum of Understanding, generally with industry associations. The EU contribution is implemented through the Horizon Europe mechanisms (work programmes and their calls for proposals), and matching partners’ contributions are implemented under their responsibility.

The main differences between these forms of European Partnership are in their preparation and how they function, as well as in the overall impact they can trigger. The Co-funded and Co-programmed Partnerships are linked to the strategic plan and the Horizon Europe work programmes. Article 185 and JU Institutionalised Partnerships require the adoption of separate legislation and are subject to an ex-ante impact assessment.

European Partnerships are established only if there is evidence that they will support the achievement of EU policy objectives more effectively than other Horizon Europe actions.

The Horizon Europe strategic plan 2025-2027 includes a list of new candidate Co-Funded and Co-programmed European Partnerships to be launched during the second half of Horizon Europe.

Participation of Spain

Spain currently participates in all of the European Partnerships, demonstrating the country’s global interest and commitment in all thematic areas. Spain's participation is carried out through different national (AEI, CEDTI, ISCIII, etc.) and regional funding agencies (Innobasque, SPRI, etc.) depending on the thematic area.

_______

Source: European Commission

European Partnership's projects

CRITICS: critical Science Without Borders: LLMs for Translation of Scientific Knowledge in Multilingual Contexts

Specific programme: CHIST-ERA IV Cofund 2025

Spain, through the State Research Agency (AEI), is participating in the call for transnational research projects on information and communication sciences and technologies, within the framework of the European research network ERA-NET CHIST-ERA: ‘European Coordinated Research on Long-term Challenges in Information and Communication Sciences & Technologies ERA-NET’.

Project PCI2025-167239-2 funded by MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and co-funded by the European Union.
Code: PCI2025-167239-2
UPV/EHU: Beneficiary
IP UPV/EHU: Rodrigo Agerri Gascón
Project start date: 15/12/2025
Project end date: 14/12/2028

Brief description:

The CRITICS project on "Critical Science Without Borders: LLMs for Translation of Scientific Knowledge in Multilingual Contexts" proposes to transform the future of science accessibility and literacy through the convergence of advanced Machine Translation based on Large Language Models (LLMs) and educational technology. By developing specialized LLMs for machine translation (MT) of scientific content, the project aims to make cutting-edge scientific knowledge accessible in local languages while maintaining technical accuracy and disciplinary rigor. The project integrates three interconnected technological innovations: advanced MT systems optimized for scientific documents, AI-powered generation of Teaching Learning Sequences (TLSs) that incorporate local contexts while maintaining scientific standards, and automated assessment tools for evaluating critical thinking and scientific reasoning in students' native languages. CRITICS tackles significant technical challenges, including MT of domain-specific terminology, analysis of scientific argumentation across languages and automated feedback in competency-based assessments through the generation of critical questions. The project's impact extends beyond technology development through an ambitious dissemination and exploitation strategy. This includes open-source release of LLMs, tools, and resources; collaboration with educational institutions for testing of the implementations; engagement with policymakers; and public outreach activities. Through these efforts, CRITICS aims to democratize access to scientific knowledge, enhance critical thinking and reduce linguistic inequities in scientific literacy. By enabling students to engage with scientific concepts in their own languages, CRITICS represents a significant step toward a more inclusive global scientific community where language is no longer a barrier to participation in scientific discourse