Making the Most of Your H2020 Project

The European Commission and the IPR Helpdesk have published a new brochure on communication, dissemination and exploitation of Horizon 2020 projects.

The Brochure: Making the Most of Your Horizon 2020 Project explains the terminology of communication, dissemination and exploitation by illustrating the differences between the three terms, and pointing out the areas they have in common. It is intended as an introduction, and for providing a helpful overview when developing an outreach and exploitation strategy and plan for a Horizon 2020 project.

Excellent science needs effective communication and dissemination. Bringing research and its outcomes to the attention of non-scientific audiences, scientific peers, potential business partners or policymakers fosters collaboration and innovation. Strategic communication and dissemination will help to explain the wider societal relevance of science, build support for future research and innovation funding, ensure uptake of results within the scientific community, and open up potential business opportunities for novel products or services. Overall, it helps to increase the impact of research and innovation in many ways.

Yet, there is still some confusion about what the terms communication, dissemination and exploitation in Horizon 2020 really mean: how do these terms and their corresponding activities relate to each other, and how can they be distinguished from one another? 

• This document clarifies the terminology by illustrating the differences between communication, dissemination and exploitation, and point out the areas they have in common. It is intended as an introduction, and will provide a helpful overview when developing your project’s outreach and exploitation strategy and plan.
• This document is aimed at assisting applicants and beneficiaries of Horizon 2020 funding. It has been developed by European IPR Helpdesk experts in close cooperation with the European Commission. 
• The European IPR Helpdesk project receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 641474. 
• It is managed by the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), with policy guidance provided by the European Commission’s Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Directorate-General.

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