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The European Heat Pump Association is asking the EU to give heat pumps a dedicated European Partnership and priority status in Horizon Europe 2028–2034, a proposed €175bn research and innovation programme. The request is a policy proposal, not an adopted funding decision; negotiations are scheduled to continue through 2026 and 2027 ahead of a planned January 2028 launch.
The European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) is urging the EU to include heat pumps as a priority in its proposed €175bn Horizon Europe 2028–2034 research and innovation programme, including through a dedicated European Partnership. The request puts a funding and policy decision on the agenda as member states and the European Parliament prepare to negotiate the next framework programme; no dedicated heat-pump partnership has been approved.
Horizon Europe, also referred to as FP10, is intended to succeed the EU’s current research and innovation funding cycle, which runs from 2021 to 2027. The proposed programme covers 2028–2034. The EHPA wants heat pumps named as a thematic priority across the programme and says the technology should receive a dedicated European Partnership.
Under the European Partnership instrument, the EU and participating industry, research organisations and national funders agree on a shared research agenda and co-fund work over several years. The EHPA argues that this arrangement could give the sector long-term, predictable research support. The association identifies potential areas including improved efficiency, new refrigerants, lower costs, integration with energy systems and high-temperature industrial uses.
The EHPA proposes that partnership research priorities cover cost competitiveness, environmental contribution, energy-system integration and market uptake. It also calls for EU support to address the full range of heat-pump technologies and applications, rather than a narrower set of uses. These are recommendations from the association; the source report does not indicate that the Commission or legislators have accepted them.
A Long-Term Place in EU Research
A dedicated partnership would give heat-pump research a defined place in a programme intended to run for seven years, rather than leaving the sector to compete without a named priority. That could make it easier for public funders, researchers and businesses to coordinate projects around shared technical needs. Whether it produces that outcome would depend on the programme’s final design, budgets and participation rules.
The requested research spans both equipment performance and how heat pumps fit into buildings, industry and wider energy systems. Work on efficiency, refrigerants and costs relates to the technology itself, while grid integration and industrial applications involve deployment conditions beyond individual machines. The EHPA’s proposal therefore treats research funding as one part of a broader industrial and energy policy approach.
The association also says a clear place in Horizon Europe would signal that the EU regards heat pumps as a strategic technology. That is the EHPA’s policy argument, not an established conclusion about what the proposed programme will deliver. For readers tracking European funding, the immediate significance is that heat pumps are being put forward as a specific candidate for the next framework’s priorities while its legislation is still being negotiated.
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How Horizon Europe Is Set Up
The EU’s current Horizon Europe funding cycle covers 2021–2027. The next programme, called Horizon Europe 2028–2034 or FP10, is planned to follow it, with a January 2028 launch target. According to the source report, legislative negotiations between EU member states and the European Parliament are expected to run through 2026 and 2027.
The EHPA’s request is broader than adding a single research topic. It proposes that a heat-pump partnership sit alongside other measures: a Strategic Energy Technology plan implementation working group focused on heat pumps; a strong focus on the technology within the IWG on buildings and industry; continuation of a heat pump accelerator platform; and a net-zero industry academy for heat pumps.
The association also calls for connections between research and other EU policy and finance tools, including the European Competitiveness Fund and deployment-focused instruments such as the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank. The report presents these as elements of the EHPA’s proposed approach, not as confirmed commitments or existing additions to FP10.
“The association is calling for heat pumps to receive a dedicated European Partnership and to be named as a priority area in the funding programme.”
— European Heat Pump Association
The Funding Decision Is Pending
The EHPA’s call does not establish that heat pumps will be included as a dedicated priority or that a European Partnership will be created. The source report provides no indication of the European Commission’s response, the position of member states or Parliament, or whether other stakeholders have made competing proposals.
The final programme structure, funding allocation and partnership terms remain unsettled in the material available. The €175bn figure refers to the proposed Horizon Europe programme; it does not specify how much, if any, would be allocated to heat pumps. It is also unclear which technologies and applications would qualify under any eventual heat-pump priority, or how the EHPA’s proposed links to deployment and industrial policy would be arranged.
Negotiations Set the Next Milestones
EU member states and the European Parliament are expected to negotiate the next framework programme through 2026 and 2027. Those discussions will determine whether heat pumps appear as a named priority, whether a dedicated European Partnership is established and what other measures are included in the final programme.
The EHPA is asking the European Commission to recognise heat pumps as a dedicated thematic priority covering the full technology and application spectrum. The next clear developments to watch are the Commission’s proposals and the positions taken during the legislative negotiations. Horizon Europe 2028–2034 is targeted to begin in January 2028, but that launch remains a plan rather than a confirmation that the association’s requests will be adopted.
Key Questions
What is the EHPA asking the EU to do?
The European Heat Pump Association wants heat pumps named as a priority in Horizon Europe 2028–2034 and wants a dedicated European Partnership to coordinate and co-fund research.
Has the EU approved a heat-pump partnership?
No. The reported development is the EHPA’s policy request. The source does not report an EU decision approving a dedicated partnership or priority.
What research does the association want funded?
The EHPA identifies work on efficiency, new refrigerants, lower costs, grid integration and high-temperature industrial applications. It also proposes priorities covering competitiveness, environmental contribution, energy-system integration and market uptake.
When will the next Horizon Europe programme begin?
The proposed Horizon Europe 2028–2034 programme is targeted to launch in January 2028. Negotiations between EU member states and the European Parliament are scheduled to run through 2026 and 2027.
How much of the proposed €175bn would go to heat pumps?
The source report gives no heat-pump-specific allocation. The €175bn is the proposed programme’s overall value; any amount for heat-pump research remains undecided in the information provided.
Source: coolingpost.com
