EU Restricts China’s Access to Horizon Europe, Opening Opportunities for Korea

The European Union (EU) is reshaping the global technology cooperation landscape by significantly restricting China’s participation in Horizon Europe, its flagship research and innovation program. While framed as a measure to safeguard technological security and intellectual property, this shift presents strategic opportunities for countries like South Korea, which is an associate member of the program.

Expanding Restrictions on Chinese Participation

Initially focused on restricting Chinese organizations from “Technology Commercialization (IA)” projects within Horizon Europe, the EU has broadened the scope to include “Research-oriented (RIA)” projects. These RIA projects encompass basic, applied, and verification research – essentially, the foundational stages of technological development. The European Commission confirmed these restrictions in early 2026, following internal discussions that began in November of the previous year. ScienceBusiness reports that in 2023, a blanket ban was already in place for innovation projects, and this year extends to most research projects.

Concerns Driving the Restrictions

The EU’s decision stems from concerns about the potential for unintentional transfer of European intellectual property rights (IP) to China and the security risks associated with Chinese organizations’ involvement in sensitive research areas. Nature highlights the EU’s broader concerns about sharing sensitive technologies that could jeopardize regional security. Specifically, Chinese organizations are now barred from applying for grants in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, 5G telecommunications, health, biotechnology, and quantum technologies. Organizations affiliated with China’s Seven Sons of National Defence are as well excluded from all funding. Nature

Opportunities for South Korea

Unlike China, South Korea has secured associate membership in Horizon Europe, positioning it to potentially benefit from the reduced Chinese participation. The areas where the EU is distancing itself from China – including semiconductor processes and equipment, battery materials, hydrogen infrastructure, and AI – align with South Korea’s core technological strengths. This creates an opportunity for European research institutions to actively seek South Korea as a research partner, recognizing its proven technological capabilities and lower political risk.

The National Research Foundation of Korea anticipates that establishing a strategic participation roadmap to increase Korea-led projects within Horizon Europe will allow the country to capitalize on the EU’s evolving research landscape.

Future Framework and Security Considerations

As the EU prepares its 10th multilateral research cooperation framework to succeed Horizon Europe, it is considering strengthening the criteria for consortium formation. Currently, a project can participate with one member country and two associate members; the new framework may require two member countries. ScienceBusiness reports that the EU is increasingly prioritizing technology security in its research partnerships. This shift is expected to increase the demand for trustworthy partners, further emphasizing the require for collaborative research roadmaps aligned with EU security strategies.

Ongoing Cooperation in Specific Areas

Despite the broader restrictions, cooperation between the EU and China continues in specific areas. Joint research efforts are still underway in climate science, biodiversity, food, and agriculture under existing bilateral roadmap mechanisms. The European Commission notes that China remains a partner in tackling global challenges through flagship initiatives co-funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China, such as the Climate Change and Biodiversity (CCB) and Food Agriculture and Biosolutions (FAB) initiatives.