2019 is soon to come to an end. For many, this is a time to look back at the year that was. But, for the EU research community it is an important time to look at the year ahead. Different from most years, 2020 can be deemed as “the year of transition”, referring to the conclusion of the Horizon 2020 framework program (ending on December 2020), and the commencement of the new Horizon Europe framework program, to be launched on January 2021 for the duration of 7 full years. In this context, what can be noted about this year of transition? What es