Australia in Horizon Europe: Building European Partnerships

From 2027, Australian organisations will be able to participate in Horizon Europe Pillar II as an associated country, opening new opportunities to collaborate in large-scale European research and innovation projects.

However, understanding the programme and identifying relevant calls is only the first step. Horizon Europe is highly collaborative, and successful participation often depends on being connected to the right partners, understanding how European consortia develop, and being able to clearly demonstrate the value your organisation can bring to a proposal.

This interactive masterclass explores how Australian universities, research organisations and innovation actors can move from awareness of Horizon Europe to active participation. Participants will examine how Horizon Europe consortia are formed, the different roles organisations can play within collaborative projects, and how to identify and approach potential European partners.

Drawing on UIIN’s experience working across European research and innovation ecosystems, the session will provide practical insights into how organisations can position their expertise, networks and institutional strengths within Horizon Europe collaborations. Participants will also reflect on their own organisational readiness and identify concrete steps for developing partnerships and opportunities for the 2027 calls.

This workshop is designed for:

• Research managers and research development professionals
• International partnerships and global engagement teams
• University leaders responsible for research, innovation or internationalisation
• Academic and research staff interested in Horizon Europe
• Innovation, industry engagement and commercialisation professionals
• Research organisations, businesses and SMEs seeking European partnerships
• Business development professionals

By participating in this workshop, you will learn how to:

1. Understand what Australia’s participation in Horizon Europe Pillar II means for collaborative research and innovation opportunities from 2027.
2. Explore how Horizon Europe consortia are formed and how partners typically identify and select organisations to collaborate with.
3. Understand the different roles Australian organisations can play within a consortium, from contributing specialist expertise to leading activities and coordinating projects.
4. Identify how to translate your organisation’s expertise, networks and capabilities into a clear value proposition for European partners.
5. Explore practical approaches for identifying relevant calls, potential consortium partners and existing European networks.
6. Learn how to approach prospective partners and position your organisation early in the consortium-building process.
7. Reflect on your organisation’s readiness for Horizon Europe and identify practical next steps for building a pipeline of opportunities for 2027 and beyond.

Rimante Rusaite, R&D Projects Lead at UIIN

Rimante is R&D Projects Lead at UIIN. She specialises in managing international and EU-funded research and innovation projects, with expertise in stakeholder engagement, systems innovation, design thinking and higher education transformation. She has coordinated a range of interdisciplinary research initiatives, facilitated workshops and delivered consultancy projects internationally. Rimante holds an MSc in Environmental Sciences from Wageningen University and a BSc in Psychology from Vytautas Magnus University. She is passionate about fostering collaboration across cultures and disciplines to drive meaningful and sustainable change.

Jose Villagran,  Deputy Manager – R&D Projects at UIIN

Jose has a background in Law and International Trade. In his current position as Deputy Manager R&D Projects at UIIN, Jose manages projects, advises colleagues, undertakes research activities and creates content on a wide variety of topics including lifelong learning, corporate social responsibility, urban challenges, stakeholder engagement and entrepreneurship. Jose has an MSc International Finance and Trade and has worked with a number of projects on sustainability and urban & rural development.

UIIN Masterclasses are live, interactive workshops designed to provide in-depth learning on key topics related to university-industry collaboration. Led by experts, these sessions combine guided discussions, hands-on exercises, and peer learning to help participants develop practical strategies and skills.