- Commission launches dialogues on water resilience
- EIT creates new community for water innovation
- ERC receives record number of proposals to Synergy Grants call
- EIC, EU Mission on climate adaptation launch new EIC Accelerator Challenge
- Commission promotes Maria Cristina Russo to deputy director-general in RTD
- ESFRI recommends flexibility in upcoming EU innovation law
- Coalition S moves forward with open access strategic plan
This live blog is tracking the latest developments in European research and innovation programmes, including the broader debate on the future of R&D policy and funding in the next multiannual budget due to start in 2028. Beyond that, we look at other EU policies with significant research and innovation components in climate, digital, agriculture and regional development. In addition, national governments often come up with new R&D policies, decide to fund new research avenues, and set up international cooperation deals. This blog aims to keep you informed on all of that and more.
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You can read the full archive of this blog here.
Between 2025 and 2027, the European Commission will discuss with EU ministers how to improve water management and address water efficiency across Europe, supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s (EIT) new Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) on water.
“A healthy ocean and resilient freshwater systems are two sides of the same coin,” fisheries and oceans Commissioner Costas Kadis said. “EIT Water will help us bridge the gap between blue and green innovation by empowering local communities, businesses, and researchers.”
More details here.
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has selected the Allwaters consortium to lead its new Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC), EIT Water.
The KIC will focus on water scarcity, drought and floods, marine and freshwater ecosystem degradation, and the development of a circular and sustainable blue economy.
“We are proud to welcome EIT Water to the EIT Community, which will be a platform for collaborative innovation, bringing together business, research, and education with strong industry involvement to deliver real solutions for Europe’s water challenges,” said Stefan Dobrev, chair of the EIT governing board.
Allwaters is composed of 50 partners from 24 countries.
More details here.
The European Research Council (ERC) has received 957 proposals to its Synergy Grants 2026 call, the highest number recorded since its launch in 2012 and up 34% from last year.
The EU funding body has earmarked €500 million for around 50 grants in its work programme 2026.
The selected projects will be announced in the fall 2026.
More details here.
The European Innovation Council (EIC) and the EU Mission on climate adaptation have launched a new EIC Accelerator Challenge worth €50 million to support deep-tech innovations targeting climate-related issues, including growing water scarcity, coastal hazards and extreme heatwaves.
The Mission will provide half of the funding for the call, which is open to individual companies. The selected applicants can receive up to €2.5 million in grants combined with equity investments of up to €10 million.
More details here.
The European Commission has appointed Maria Cristina Russo as deputy director-general in charge of innovation, prosperity and international cooperation in the Commission’s directorate-general for research and innovation, DG RTD.
Russo is currently director for prosperity within that same department.
“With more than 30 years of experience at the European Commission, Ms Russo has developed extensive expertise in industrial research, policy development and financial affairs,” the Commission says. “Moreover, she has large expertise managing the industrial component of the Horizon Europe Cluster.”
The date of effect has not been determined yet.
More details here.
The forthcoming Innovation Act should allow research and technology infrastructures to work more closely with start-ups and scale up, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) said in a statement.
EFSRI wish to see the regulations on state aid clarified and those on intellectual property cleared, an embargo period of up to five years for data generated through collaborations, the possibility for start-ups and scales-up to be temporarily based in research and technology infrastructures and benefit from a tailored transnational access, and legal mechanisms to support temporary personnel exchanges.
“Where legislative action is either not necessary or can be accompanied by additional actions, proposed measures could also be implemented through the upcoming Charter of Access for industrial users to research and technology infrastructures,” the paper reads.
More details here.
The international coalition for open access has published a new strategic plan as part of its commitment to open, transparent and equitable sharing of scientific knowledge.
“As research funders, we want our funding to foster the public good of science through open practices, recognising multiple pathways to open access and working collaboratively with other key stakeholders,” said Mari Sundli Tveit, head of the Research Council of Norway and chair of the Coalition S leaders group. “What we are adding is explicit recognition that achieving true open science requires transparency in processes, equity in participation, and unwavering commitment to the trustworthiness of scientific knowledge.”
More details here.
The European Commission has announced the first beneficiaries of the City2City Programme, an EU-funded initiative that aims to connect cities across the world to help them develop joint climate solutions.
As part of the programme, 28 cities were selected, including Valencia in Spain, Salvador in Chile, and Miami-Dade in the United States. The cities are split into 11 groupings of up to three cities.
A second call for expression of interest is open until 8 January 2026 to expand participation to up to 50 cities.
More details here.
Agralife, France’s agency for agriculture research, warns that Horizon Europe’s ability to meet environmental, social and territorial challenges will be hindered by a too strong focus on industrial and technologies priorities under the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF).
“Innovation in agricultural, forestry, and food systems must go beyond developing and transferring technologies to businesses,” Agralife said in a statement. “European collaborative research delivers much more: it fosters knowledge exchange between stakeholders, supports change directly with those involved and helps inform public policy. It is this intertwining of economic, environmental, and societal dimensions that gives collaborative research its strength.”
Agralife also wants the different departments inside the European Commission to cooperate more to ensure EU policies in research and innovation are more coherent.
More details here.
European and African universities call for strengthened cooperation in higher education and research
Europe and Africa should boost cooperation in higher education and research, according to the European University Association (EUA) and the Association of African Universities (AAU).
The two university associations say that more cooperation would help Europe and Africa deploy mutually beneficial partnerships.
“The African Union, European Union and national governments must include universities in their plans and agree on more investment in research and education capacity building and collaboration,” said AAU secretary general Olusola Bandele Oyewole.
The next European Union-African Union Summit will take place on November 24-25 in Luanda, Angola.
More details here.
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