Over the holiday period, a major announcement may have slipped under the radar. On December 22nd 2025, the European Commission announced concluding negotiations with Japan on its association to Horizon Europe, the European Union’s €93.5 billion funding programme for research and innovation.
Although a formal deal of association remains to be signed in 2026, a transitional agreement is already in force enabling Japanese organisations to apply directly to Horizon Europe calls and be treated as fully eligible entities from an associated country. As of January this year, Japanese researchers can compete for EU funding on equal footing with their European counterparts, removing the previous bureaucratic requirement to secure parallel domestic funding to participate in Horizon consortia. Like other associated countries, Japan will contribute financially to the programme to support the participation of its researchers.
This development follows the rapid international expansion of Horizon Europe to other major global research partners and scientific powerhouses, including South Korea earlier this year, and more recently Switzerland, Egypt, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Morocco. The association marks another important step in positioning Horizon Europe as a truly global platform for collaborative science and innovation.
Japan’s initial financial contribution reflects the early stage of participation. Science Business reports that Japan intends to commit €6.6 million to cover the costs of its researchers joining the programme. However, this figure is expected to grow in subsequent years. Experience from other associated countries shows that contributions tend to rise as participation increases; New Zealand’s second-year association bill more than doubled after its first year. While there is no official figure yet for Japan’s expected payments in 2027 and 2028, a similar trajectory is anticipated as engagement deepens.
What does this mean for the EU?
This is ultimately positive news for the EU research ecosystem. Japan is a global leader in multiple scientific and technological domains, and its integration into Horizon Europe will enrich the programme with new expertise, perspectives and innovation capacity. Strengthening collaboration with Japanese institutions helps break down barriers to knowledge exchange and equips Europe with stronger partnerships to address shared global challenges.
“Openness and international cooperation must guide the future of science and technology. We believe that scientific cooperation can build bridges, even in challenging geopolitical times. I look forward to strengthening our partnership as Japan joins the 22 countries already associated to Horizon.” – Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation (European Commission, 2025).
What funds can Japan benefit from?
Japan’s association, like that of other geographically distant partners such as Canada, New Zealand and South Korea, applies specifically to Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe. This pillar funds large-scale collaborative projects bringing together international consortia of researchers, industry actors and public organisations to tackle applied global challenges. While the opportunity is significant, participation in Pillar 2 is known to be demanding. Successful entry requires strong European networks, experienced coordinators, and in-depth knowledge of how to structure competitive consortium-based proposals.
How can Japanese entities tap into EU funding opportunities?
For Japanese entities entering the Horizon Europe landscape, experienced European partners are essential. AcrossLimits supports organisations worldwide in navigating EU funding, building strategic consortia and connecting with established researchers, industry leaders and public stakeholders. Our expertise helps new participants overcome the structural barriers of Pillar 2 participation, position themselves within competitive international projects and develop high quality applications for EU projects. We also support consortia in managing EU projects once they get funded by helping them navigate the administrative complexities and reporting requirements of the process, as well as filling in any gaps in their consortium’s expertise.
In addition, our PartnerHub platform hosts an ecosystem of stakeholders specifically geared towards collaboration on EU funded projects, enabling us to connect you with the partners you need to tackle EU funds together.
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If your organisation is interested in exploring Horizon Europe opportunities and forming strong European partnerships, contact AcrossLimits at [email protected] to learn how we can support your participation.