The European Union is directing almost €275 million towards a new generation of research projects designed to reinforce democratic resilience, protect Europe’s cultural
heritage and address growing social and economic inequalities.
The European Research Executive Agency (REA) has selected 77 projects for funding under Horizon Europe Cluster 2 – “Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society”, following competitive calls launched in 2025.
Together, the initiatives will receive €274.58 million and cover research ranging from democratic participation and disinformation to cultural heritage, artificial intelligence, education and economic resilience.
The projects are divided into three broad areas.
Democracy and Governance accounts for 27 projects, receiving €93.61 million across 12 research topics. The work will examine challenges including political polarisation, extremism and hate speech, while exploring ways to counter disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference.
Several projects will also focus on strengthening public confidence in democratic institutions by examining youth participation, civic engagement and mechanisms for protecting fundamental rights.
A further 22 projects, backed by €82.59 million, will focus on European cultural heritage and the cultural and creative industries.
Their research will look at improving access to and the quality of museums, cultural institutions and historical sites. Other initiatives will examine how culture and the arts can contribute to peacebuilding in Europe and neighbouring regions.
The programme will also explore the growing role of artificial intelligence in the cultural and creative sectors, including how emerging technologies can influence the production, preservation and accessibility of cultural content.
The largest group comprises 28 projects addressing social and economic transformations, with funding of €98.38 million.
These projects will investigate inequality, demographic change and economic resilience, alongside efforts to make education systems more equitable and inclusive. Researchers will examine how evidence can be better incorporated into policymaking and how education policies can be designed, tested and implemented more effectively.
The EU expects the combined research programme to contribute to more inclusive approaches to social and economic development, while improving the ability of policymakers to respond to demographic and structural changes.
All 77 projects have now signed grant agreements with the European Commission. Some have already begun their research, while the remaining initiatives are scheduled to start in the coming months.
The projects were chosen through three single-stage competitive calls launched between May and September 2025. Proposals were assessed through peer review conducted by REA with the participation of independent experts, with funding awarded to the highest-scoring applications.
The latest funding round brings together research into democracy, culture and social transformation under a single Horizon Europe framework, reflecting the EU's broader effort to connect scientific research with major societal challenges facing Europe.