BRUSSELS, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission announced in a press release on Tuesday that it would invest almost 16 billion euros (18 billion U.S. dollars) in research and innovation in the next two years under Horizon 2020, the EU's research and innovation funding scheme.
The announcement was made following a new European Union (EU) work program for 2016-2017 adopted on the same day, said the Commission.
The program would support a range of cost-cutting initiatives, including the modernization of Europe's manufacturing industry, driverless car technologies and standards, and the Internet of Things to address digitalization of EU industries. Sustainable cities would also be included to better integrate environmental, transport, energy and digital networks in EU's urban environments.
In addition, the program will cover research into EU's external border security to help identify and prevent human trafficking and smuggling, new technologies to help prevent crime and terrorism, and the origin and impact of migration flows in Europe.
The program would also build on successes in health research, such as the Ebola-related breakthrough discoveries already supported by Horizon 2020, by investing in the critical outbreak of the damaging olive-tree pest Xylella fastidiosa.
Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation said of the work program: "Research and innovation are the engines of Europe's progress and vital to addressing today's new pressing challenges like immigration, climate change, clean energy and healthy societies."
