Following her re-election as European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen has pledged to put “research and innovation, science and technology, at the centre of our economy” during her next five-year mandate. The rationale for doing so has multiple drivers: a growing innovation gap between Europe, the US and China; increasingly ambitious decarbonisation goals; defence and security threats from war in Ukraine and the Middle East, spurring geopolitical interest in further EU enlargement; and the need for productivity gains to support sustainable growth and competitiveness, among others.
The urgency to act has also been highlighted by the flagship reports from Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi, and more recently in the recommendations of the independent expert group chaired by Manuel Heitor. Unsurprisingly, each call for massive increases in R&I financing to achieve long-term policy goals – yet do so against a backdrop of national economic constraints and political schisms across the continent. By extension, early indicators from within the Commission suggest that a radical restructuring of budget lines is being considered for the years ahead, in order to channel science and technology investments through a macro-level competitiveness instrument.
So as the EU institutions begin their deliberations on both the next multi-year budget (2028-2034) and a successor to Horizon Europe (FP10), how will Ms. von der Leyen’s rhetoric play out in reality? This question lies at the heart of the 2025 Science|Business Annual Network Conference. Among the key issues to be explored in February: Can member-states be persuaded to put more money into the R&I pot, or is a fully-fledged capital markets union the only realistic way to achieve the desired scale of investment? Will the prospective competitiveness fund transform R&I funding and governance for better or for worse? Should the Commission opt for revolution or evolution when it comes to FP10, not least in the context of the Widening agenda and industry-led partnerships? How would a “whole-of-government” approach work in practice in the next framework programme? Does Europe need its own ARPA-style mechanism to foster breakthrough innovation? And how will geopolitics affect future models of international cooperation and the balance between research security, integrity and openness?
On February 6, Science|Business will convene leading figures from the worlds of policy, industry and research, along with the members of its international Network, to address these questions and more. Join us in Brussels and online for the first series of public high-level debates on the future of R&I as the EU’s new mandate begins in earnest.
08:30 WELCOME COFFEE AND REGISTRATION
09:00 WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS
09:05 PLENARY SESSION: Full speed ahead: What next for R&I as the new Commission gets down to business?
With the next European Commission now approved and installed, attention turns to how President von der Leyen’s rhetoric about “R&I, science and tech, at the heart of the economy” will be turned into reality. In this opening session, discussions will focus on the burning issues in R&I that will define the first few months of action for the College of Commissioners, as implementation of the new mandate gets under way in earnest.
Opening Q&A with:
• Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation (TBC)
Followed by a respondent’s panel featuring:
• Nanna-Louise Linde, Vice President, European Government Affairs, Microsoft
• Victor Negrescu, Member and Vice President, European Parliament
• Marius Zenišek, Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, Government of Czechia
10:00 SPOTLIGHT SESSION: 4th generation universities: A new model for regional innovation and transformation?
Historically, universities have made valuable contributions to their local ecosystems through knowledge creation and skills development across different scientific and technological domains – the core attributes of the so-called “3rd generation university”. Yet as the scale of challenge for policymakers shifts from problem resolution to systems-level transformation, there is pressure on universities to evolve in parallel, moving towards what some are already calling the “4th generation university” – in other words, the vanguard of regional innovation and value creation, with and for other stakeholders. In this Spotlight session,
Featuring:
• Nick Fowler, Chief Academic Officer, Elsevier
Supported by Elsevier
10:10 COFFEE BREAK
10:45 PARALLEL SESSIONS: Dual-track, high-level panel debates about two of the most important framing conditions for European R&I policy over the next five years: budget and geopolitics.
Session 1 – Money no object: How will the EU finance its science and tech ambitions?
In line with the Draghi report and various high-level analyses, Europe’s R&I ecosystem will need a massive long-term cash injection – among other reforms – to meet policy goals around competitiveness, security, resilience and productivity. Yet economic realities make it unlikely that the required investment will come from member states themselves. This session will explore the options available to the EU to enlarge the R&I pot, such as a fully-fledged capital markets union, attaching R&I conditions to other EU funds, and removing barriers to industrial R&D financing.
Panel discussion featuring:
• Christian Ehler, Member, European Parliament
• Felicitas Riedl, Director, Innovation and Competitiveness, European Investment Bank
Session 2 – Juggling act: Can geopolitics and research security coexist in a globally connected world?
Even before the outcome of November’s US elections, the boundaries and time-honoured principles of international science cooperation were changing in fundamental ways. With geopolitical tensions and research security concerns continuing to rise around the globe, this session will address the realpolitik informing the EU’s new mandate – including the elevation of technological sovereignty to the level of the new College of Commissioners – and reflect on the potential implications for its international R&I strategy, both inside and outside of its flagship Framework Programmes.
Panel discussion featuring:
• Koji Saeki, Senior Vice President, Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Robert-Jan Smits, President of the Executive Board, TU Eindhoven
• Cathrin Stöver, Chief Communications Officer, GÉANT
11:30 TRANSITION BREAK
11:45 BREAKOUT SESSIONS – BLOCK ONE
In her political guidelines, President von der Leyen committed to leverage R&I to revamp Europe’s industrial strategy and competitiveness, creating a new executive vice-president post and portfolio to oversee this agenda moving forward. However, the EU’s track record in this area has had mixed results over decades, and various recent reports have highlighted the tendency to channel R&D investments into mature technologies and sectors. In this part of the agenda, a select number of more in-depth, interactive sessions will look at key pillars of the “new” approach.
Session 1 – Science for life: What must Europe do to create the next generation of game-changers?
Throughout the 20th century, health and life science (HLS) sectors established themselves as one of the jewels in Europe’s industrial innovation crown. Since the millennium, however, a clear picture has emerged of advanced R&D investment, talent and intellectual assets moving to the US and Asia in order to bring their breakthrough innovations to market. In her political guidelines for the new Commission, President von der Leyen has pledged to develop a Biotech Act and Life Sciences Strategy to boost HLS competitiveness – but in parallel, political negotiations to revise Europe’s pharmaceutical legislation have now dragged into their third year. So where does this leave Europe in the race for global competitiveness? Is its HLS innovation ecosystem adequately set up to foster – and reap the rewards from – the next waves of transformational therapeutics and technologies? And if not, what needs to change before it is too late?
Panel discussion featuring:
• Yves Joanette, Deputy Vice Rector for Research, Creation, Innovation, University of Montreal
• Plamena Markova, Chief of International Relations, EMBL
• Carl Johan Sundberg, Director, North Campus, Karolinska Institutet
Session 2 – High risk, high reward: Does Europe need an ARPA model to turbo-charge its innovation ecosystem?
In line with the Draghi and Heitor reports, a session that can address whether Europe can or should attempt to replicate the US’ ARPA model on home soil. Central to discussions is the question of how best to leverage public funding to place large-scale “bets” on unproven, advanced technology futures – and whether such an approach can fit within the EU’s traditional top-down, command-and-control model. Among other considerations: does Europe have the critical building blocks to support an ARPA-type system, and could it realistically work at a pan-EU level? What would be the KPIs and factors that would determine its success? What can be learned from other countries’ analysis of its viability and attempts to build their own equivalents? And in parallel, how would a European ARPA fit with the EIC and other national programmes supporting high-risk R&I?
Panel discussion featuring:
• José Moisés Martín Carretero, Director General, CDTI – Spanish Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology
• Paul Corson, Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer, University of Texas at Arlington
• Federico Menna, Chief Executive Officer, EIT Digital
• Špela Stres, Director, Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (TBC)
Session 3 – Collaborative R&D: Time to go back to the drawing board?
A session that explores the issues highlighted by the Draghi and Heitor reports (in particular) around the dwindling levels of industry R&D investment and corporate engagement in EU Framework Programmes. The EU’s renewed focus on competitiveness and economic security through to 2029 will mean finding the right instruments, incentives and enabling conditions to reverse these trends and to foster major increases in science-business cooperation. Would the proposed creation of an independent industrial technology council inspire a sea change in attitude and approach from leading companies? Is the current model of partnerships the best way forward, given additional pressures to deliver fast on competitiveness and tech sovereignty objectives? And how to ensure greater pre-competitive collaboration to develop next generation technologies, not just improve mature solutions?
Panel discussion featuring:
• Daniel Gros, Director, Institute for European Policymaking, Bocconi University
• David Luengo Riesco, Head of Brussels Office, Indra
• Arto Maaninen, Rector, University of Oulu
• Tor Grande, Rector, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
• Maive Rute, Deputy Director-General & Chief Standardisation Officer, DG GROW, European Commission (TBC)
Session 4 – Voyage of discovery: Is science the best medium to harness the full potential of AI?
After several years of hype, serious questions are now being raised about the ‘return on investment’ and real-world impact of artificial intelligence solutions, and in particular consumer-facing, for-profit applications. Yet as the recent Nobel prize for AlphaFold indicates, their application in various scientific domains may lie at the heart of AI’s future value to society – enabling more efficient, dynamic creation of frontier knowledge across disciplines, and empowering scientists and companies to develop ambitious, problem-driven research in line with the great challenges of our age. Are we therefore on the cusp of a radical change in mindset and use of AI within the worlds of research and industry? And what will it take to bring this new age of AI innovation forward?
Panel discussion featuring:
• Fatma Deniz, Vice President, Digitalisation and Sustainability, TU Berlin
• Fabrizio Gagliardi, Senior Strategy Advisor, Barcelona Supercomputing Center
• David Madigan, Provost, Northeastern University
12:45 NETWORKING LUNCH
13:45 PLENARY SESSION: Universal impact: How to accelerate R&D investment for a safer, healthier world?
When it comes to boosting trade and competitiveness, healthcare sectors are seen as “jewels in the crown” by many advanced R&D nations – yet health innovation extends far beyond pure economics, affecting the lives of billions of people. Given the current political push for greater autonomy and sovereignty, in Europe and beyond, this session will explore the wider case for sustaining global cooperation in health R&I, and the potential means to do so.
Introductory remarks:
• Lisa Goerlitz, Head of Brussels Office and Advocacy Unit – EU, DSW
Followed by a panel discussion featuring:
• Vanessa Candeias, Strategy and External Affairs Lead, Impact Global Health
• Joanna Drake, Deputy Director-General, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission (TBC)
• Ole Olesen, Executive Director, EVI – European Vaccine Initiative & TBVI – Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative
• Amadou Sall, Executive Director, Manufacturing and Supply Chain, CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (TBC)
Supported by DSW and Impact Global Health
14:30 TRANSITION BREAK
14:45 PARALLEL SESSIONS – BLOCK TWO
For many R&I stakeholders, perhaps the biggest questions of all surround the future of the EU’s framework programme for research beyond Horizon Europe. The afternoon parallel sessions will focus on a select number of transversal themes at the interface between the new mandate and the wider debate about the priorities, structure and purpose of FP10.
Session 1 – Added value: Can Widening countries become a driver of European competitiveness?
The Letta and Draghi reports have both underlined the critical importance of a fully integrated, high-performing research and innovation ecosystem to Europe’s future prospects. Yet in the rush to embrace the EU’s new competitiveness agenda, there is a risk that resources and policy attention will gravitate to established R&I clusters and regions to drive progress – thereby undermining the idea of R&I as a true “fifth freedom” of the single market, and the need for Europe to harness all of its assets to become more globally relevant in critical technology domains and markets. Against this backdrop, how can Europe avoid repeating previous mistakes and further entrenching historic innovation gaps? Which policy approaches can guarantee that R&I ecosystems in Widening countries are given equal opportunities and strategic support to play their role in delivering on EU goals? And how to best increase and capture the unique added value that universities bring in these ecosystems – both through FP10 and other key EU instruments?
Panel discussion featuring:
• Eszter Lakos, Member, European Parliament
• Sorin Costreie, President, UNICA – Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe
• Nick Fowler, Chief Academic Officer, Elsevier
• Valentina Gecevska, Vice Rector of Science, UKIM – Ss. Cyril and Methodius Universities
• Ladislav Krištoufek, Vice Rector for Research, Charles University Prague
• Aistė Vilkanauskytė, Advisor, Technology and Innovation Division, Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Government of Lithuania
Supported by the Science|Business Widening Initiative
Session 2 – Tech talent in demand: How cutting-edge research shapes future innovators
To address the increasing demand for skilled professionals in emerging technologies, innovative solutions are urgently needed. This session, which builds on the success of the ATTRACT Academy, will explore how state-of-the-art research infrastructures can leverage their unique resources and capabilities to connect students, researchers, higher education experts and industry leaders and train the next generation of tech talents. It will also feature a dynamic “pitch” session involving graduates from the ATTRACT Academy and a panel of senior experts from across the R&I spectrum.
Panel discussion featuring:
• Antoaneta Angelova-Krasteva, Director for Innovation, Digital Education and International Cooperation, DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission (TBC)
• Josep M. Garrell, President, European University Association (TBC)
• Shreyasi Kar, Head of Operations, Aalto Design Factory, Aalto University & Project Consortium Board Member, ATTRACT
• Andrea Wechsler, Member, European Parliament (TBC)
Supported by the ATTRACT Project
Session 3 – Missing links: How to build innovation capacity in higher education institutions?
With the European Commission beginning work on its first proposals for FP10, it is clear that high expectations will be placed on the programme to boost European competitiveness and reduce innovation gaps within and beyond its borders. As highlighted in the Draghi and Heitor reports, a key success factor will be strengthening links between the worlds of higher education and industry – encompassing skills, talent development, knowledge valorisation and tech transfer, among others. Yet while higher education institutions (HEIs) recognise their pivotal role in catalysing change, it remains a complex challenge to transform institutional systems and cultures to become true engines of European innovation. Drawing on practical examples and strategic insights, this session will explore the incentives, pathways and policies that can enable HEIs to realise this vital ambition in the years ahead.
Panel discussion featuring:
• Dolores Volkert, Head of EIT Higher Education Initiative
• Manuel Aleixo, Member of Cabinet of Commissioner Zaharieva, European Commission (TBC)
• Thomas Hofmann, President, TU Munich (TBC)
Supported by the EIT HEI Initiative
Session 4 – Start me up: What must Europe do differently for new and scaling companies to succeed?
A session that looks at the inclusion of start-up and scale-up companies in the new research commissioner’s portfolio, and a first set of discussions about the priority areas for a forthcoming strategy from the Commission. At the heart of discussions is the “framework conditions” mentioned in Zaharieva’s mission letter, and how those will be defined moving forward. Among the topics to be explored: incentivising / rewarding knowledge valorisation and tech transfer in FP10; amendments to IP and state aid regimes; data access; dedicated funding for “bankability” studies for FP10 results; and the role of different financial actors in providing the large ticket investments for companies seeking to scale their way to market.
Panel discussion featuring:
• Cristian Dascălu, Board Member, European Startup Network
• Marina Silverii, Executive Director, ART-ER
• Janet Geddes, Deputy Director – Global, Innovate UK (TBC)
• Jean-Marc Bourez, Chief Executive Officer, EIT Health (TBC)
15:45 COFFEE BREAK
16:10 SPOTLIGHT SESSION: Jewel in the crown: The critical value of public-private partnerships to FP10
• Speaker TBC
16:30 PLENARY SESSION: Evolution vs. revolution: What next on the road to FP10?
A closing plenary session which will address the next steps and process that the European Commission will follow in drafting its initial proposals for FP10, which are due to be published around the summer of 2025. Above all, it will shine more light on how the R&I directorate will approach the challenge of balancing strategic priorities from the EU’s new mandate with recommendations from the Letta, Draghi and Heitor reports, among others.
Opening Q&A with:
• Marc Lemaître, Director-General, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
Followed by a respondents’ panel featuring:
• Martina Brockmeier, President, Leibniz Association
• Annelien Bredenoord, President of the Supervisory Board, Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Stefan Dobrev, Chairperson of the Executive Board, EIT – European Institute of Innovation and Technology (TBC)
17:30 CONFERENCE CLOSE & NETWORKING RECEPTION
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