Operational objectives
Article 2
1. The Specific Programme shall contribute to the general and specific objectives set out in Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695. 2. The operational objectives of the Specific Programme are the following: (a) to strengthen excellent basic and frontier research; to reinforce and spread excellence, including by fostering wider participation throughout the Union; (b) to reinforce the link between research, innovation, and, where appropriate, education and other policies, including complementarities with national, regional and Union R&I policies and activities; (c) to support the implementation of Union policy priorities including in particular the SDGs and the Paris Agreement; (d) to promote responsible R&I, taking into account the precautionary principle; (e) to strengthen the gender dimension across the Specific Programme; (f) to increase collaboration links in European R&I and across sectors and disciplines, including social sciences and humanities (SSH); (g) to strengthen international cooperation; (h) to connect to and develop research infrastructures across the European Research Area (ERA) and to provide transnational access; (i) to attract talent, to train and retain researchers and innovators in the ERA, including through mobility; (j) to foster open science and ensure visibility to the public and open access to scientific publications and research data, including appropriate exceptions; (k) to encourage exploitation of R&I results and actively disseminate and exploit results, in particular for leveraging private investments and policy development; (l) to deliver, through R&I missions, on ambitious goals within a set timeframe; (m) to improve the relationship and interaction between science and society, including the visibility of science in society and science communication, and to promote the involvement of citizens and end-users in co-design and co-creation processes; (n) to accelerate industrial transformation, including through improved skills for innovation; (o) to stimulate R&I activities in SMEs and the creation and scale-up of innovative companies, in particular start-ups, SMEs, and in exceptional cases small mid-caps; (p) to improve access to risk finance, including through synergies with the InvestEU Programme established by Regulation (EU) 2021/523 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 11 ) , in particular where the market does not provide viable financing. 3. In pursuing the objectives referred to in paragraph 2, account may be taken of new and unforeseen needs that arise during the period of implementation of the Specific Programme. That may, if duly justified, include responses to emerging opportunities, crises and threats, as well as responses to needs relating to the development of new Union policies.