ECIU joins the recent calls of Manuel Heitor (Align, Act, Accelerate, October 2024), Mario Draghi (‘The Future of European Competitiveness’, September 2024), Ursula von der Leyen (‘Political Guidelines for the Next European Commission 2024-2029’, July 2024), and Enrico Letta (‘Much More Than a Market’, April 2024), to strongly invest in research and innovation in Europe.

The next EU mandate and programmes (2027-2032) provide a pivotal opportunity to bolster Europe‘s position as a global leader in innovation, address pressing societal challenges, and leverage the full potential of its research institutions and talents.

The latest ECIU paper advocates for strategic enhancements of a ringfenced research and innovation Framework Programme (FP10) to achieve these goals. Innovative universities, such as ECIU partners, play a crucial role in helping achieve the needed societal impact of FP10. They help fostering an ecosystem where knowledge diffusion propels both economic vitality and societal advancement, which is crucial for the technological autonomy of Europe.

ECIU’s key messages for FP10 are:

1. Build upon the unique role of universities driving regional and European competitiveness.
2. Enhance the societal impact of research with bottom-up calls to allow for multifaceted impact.
3. Enhance Europe’s innovation potential through smart investments, and a dedicated and ringfenced 220 billion euro budget for a strong Research and Innovation Framework Programme.