Proposed budget: EUR 208 million for 2021

Electronic components and systems underpin all major economic sectors. The need to master such technologies in Europe, in particular in the context of delivering on European policy priorities such as digital leadership, has driven to a strong resolution of setting up a leading European strategic initiative – the KDT JU – for focused, coordinated and competitive research and innovation activities in the Electronic Components and Systems (ECS) field.

The KDT Joint Undertaking – the Public-Private Partnership for research, development and innovation – funds projects for assuring world-class expertise in these key enabling technologies, essential for Europe’s competitive leadership in the era of the digital economy. KDT JU is the successor to the ECSEL JU programme, supporting its ongoing projects.

KDT JU was established through a COUNCIL REGULATION (Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 of 19 November 2021 establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe), and has in its structure as a Public-Private Partnership:

• Three associations (EPoSS, AENEAS and Inside Industry Association) representing the actors from the areas of micro- and nano-electronics, smart integrated systems and embedded/cyber-physical systems.
• the European Union (through the Commission);
• Member States and Associated Countries to the Horizon Europe Programme on a voluntary basis.

For more information about the KDT Partnership, please consult:

• FCT webpage containing information on national co-funding
• KDT Joint Undertaking official website

KDT calls 2021 currently open (Deadline 27 April 2022):

• Call HORIZON-KDT-JU-2021-1 IA (two topics):
  • HORIZON-KDT-JU-2021-1-IA
  • HORIZON-KDT-JU-2021-1-IA – Focus Topic 1: Development of open-sources RISC-V building blocks

• Call HORIZON-KDT-JU-2021-2 RIA (two topics):
  • HORIZON-KDT-JU-2021-2-RIA
  • HORIZON-KDT-JU2021-2-RIA – FocusTopic 1: Processing solutions for AI at the edge addressing the design stack and middleware

• Call HORIZON-KDT-JU-2021-3-CSA (one topic):
  • HORIZON-KDT-JU-2021-3-CSA – A Pan-European chip infrastructure for design innovation

The 2021 calls cover actions in the following areas:

• Electronic and Photonic components and the software that defines how they work
• Soft, hard, and middleware
• Processors, chips
• Edge systems

And in specific applications, such as (not exclusive):

• Cyberphysical applications
• Manufacturing
• Materials, Decarbonization, Recycling, circularity
• Mobility, Energy
• Health
• Agrifood and natural resources