- EIT and Malta sign deal on regional innovation pilot launch
- EUA calls for new Erasmus+ actions and sectorial budget allocations
- Agrifood coalition reject burdens on new genomic techniques
- Seal of Excellence 2025 call grants €22M to 11 Spanish projects
- UKRI targets research and innovation support for scale-ups
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.
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the Maltese government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch the EIT Regional Innovation Booster pilot in Malta from 2026.
The EIT will allocate at least €30 million to the new scheme’s pilot phase until 2028.
“This new Xjenza Malta initiative is very important for Malta as it will offer guidance, funding and expert advice to make ideas commercially viable and ready for internationalisation,” said Silvio Scerri, CEO at government agency Xjenza Malta. “It’s about helping Malta’s innovators go from lab results to commercialisation.”
More details here.
The European University Association (EUA) is calling on the EU to not only increase the budget for the Erasmus+ programme between 2028 and 2034, but also clarify the allocations per sector and new actions.
New actions include scholarships for excellence in strategic fields.
“Furthermore, key stakeholders, including universities and the wider European education and training sector, must be closely involved in these discussions,” the EUA said in a statement.
More details here.
A coalition of 25 food and feed associations is urging the European Parliament to scrap additional restrictions and swiftly finalise a deal on new genomic techniques (NGTs) during trilogue negotiations.
New requirements include sustainability criteria and traceability and labelling obligations, which NGT supporters expect to create “unnecessary administrative complexity and burden” for the agri-food sector. Instead, they call for a “clear and enabling legislative framework.”
Read the full open letter here.
The Centre for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI) has announced that under the Seal of Excellence 2025 call, 11 innovative Spanish projects would be awarded a total of €22 million in subsidies.
The selected projects cover areas ranging from pharmaceutical 3D printing to biobanking solutions to sustainable production technologies.
“This substantial boost underscores the commitment of CDTI, Spain, and the European Union to research, innovation, and technology transfer in response to current challenges in crucial areas,” the CDTI says.
More details here.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the UK’s public research funding body, will target financial support to scale-ups by investing £8 billion for specific government priorities and £7 billion for innovative company growth out of a £38.6 billion taxpayer settlement.
“There is no route to stronger growth in this country, no answer to how we pay our way, or compete with the rest of the world, without science, technology and innovation leading front and centre. But we must be smarter about what we prioritise, for these efforts to succeed,” UK science and technology secretary Liz Kendall said at a UKRI conference this week.
Meanwhile, £9 billion is expected to go towards the fields of research in which the UK is among the strongest, such as AI and quantum.
More details here.
The European Innovation Council (EIC) Pre-Accelerator, which launched this year to support early-stage, deep-tech start-ups in Widening countries, has received 1,056 submissions seeking €479.4 million in funding.
“This strong level of participation demonstrates the growing momentum of deep-tech innovation across Widening countries, as well as the demand for targeted support to help early-stage companies scale and compete at European and global levels,” the EIC says in a statement.
More details here.
The Council of the EU has given the green light to the EU’s budget for 2026, with total commitments amounting to €192.8 billion and total payments to €190.1 billion.
“Addressing priorities such as defence, migration, competitiveness and preparedness, this budget allows us to respond decisively to the needs of European citizens. At the same time, we’ve built in flexibility to allow us to deal with unfolding crises,” Nicolai Wammen, minister of finance of Denmark and chief Council negotiator for the 2026 budget, says in a statement.
The European Parliament is expected to adopt this budget on November 26.
More details here.
The European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund has finalised its first equity investments to IQM Quantum Computers and Zadient Technologies under the EIC STEP Scale Up scheme, which aims to support companies developing strategic technologies.
The EIC STEP Scale Up call has a budget of €600 million for 2025 and 2026.
IQM Quantum Computers, based in Finland, is building advanced superconducting quantum processors, while Zadient Technologies, headquartered in France, is looking to produce silicon carbide semiconductors.
More details here.
The European Commission has secured €15.5 billion of investments in renewable energy for Africa, in addition to other commitments in clean energy generation and electricity access for households.
These investments are the result of a year-long campaign organised in collaboration with advocacy group Global Citizen and the International Energy Agency.
“With €15.5 billion, we are turbocharging Africa’s clean energy transition,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “This investment is a surge of opportunity: thriving markets, new jobs, and reliable, clean energy that meets the needs of partners across the globe.
More details here.
The European Regions Research and Innovation Networks (ERRIN) says the next iteration of Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) should ensure dedicated long-term funding for “territorial R&I ecosystems” across Europe.
ERRIN is also calling for more details on how National and Regional Partnership Plans would connect to Horizon Europe and the ECF, “ensuring that Europe’s funding instruments work as a coherent pathway from research to innovation, deployment and territorial impact.”
More details here.
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