The European Commission (EC) has created a pilot industrial-PhD programme to unite academia and businesses. The European Industrial Doctorates scheme will have €20 million (US$28 million) to fund about 100 researchers until 2013, and aims to teach scientists how to combine scientific excellence with business skills. Participating PhD students at partner universities will spend at least half their time at a company in a different European Union (EU) state or associated country. Partner businesses will pay some expenses. EC policy coordinator Vanessa Debiais-Sainton says that the programme is likely to become a permanent part of the EU research-funding scheme Horizon 2020, set to launch in 2014.