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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The European Commission has appointed to the European Research Council (ERC) Scientific Council Conny Aerts from the Institute of Astronomy at KU Leuven.
“We will benefit from her engagement in mentoring the younger generation of researchers, as well as her experience in making basic science relevant to practical applications,” Maria Leptin, the president of the ERC, said in a statement.
Aerts’ appointment takes effect on July 1, for an initial term of four years.
More details here.
A group of 11 organisations representing clean technology innovators and renewable energy sectors across Europe urged the European Commission to maintain a “self-standing” and “well-funded” research Framework Programme from 2028.
“Developing and upscaling clean technologies is a no-regret strategy to strengthen the EU’s resilience,” they wrote in a letter addressed to Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
The organisations asked her to ensure that FP10 is granted a budget of at least €200 billion, with stable priorities and a major focus on collaborative research. They also hope to see the programme be closely linked to the EU’s existing and new scale-up instruments, including the Competitiveness Fund.
Read the full statement here.
The League of European Research Universities (LERU) welcomes the European Commission’s plans to streamline Horizon Europe.
In a statement published this week, LERU says funding topics should be less prescriptive and leave the methodology up to applicants. The statement also calls for lowering the average grant size in order to fund more small to medium-sized consortia rather than large projects, which leads to increased complexity.
Read the full statement here.
The European Commission has received 76 expressions of interest proposing to set up artificial intelligence gigafactories in 16 EU member states across 60 different sites, it announced on June 30.
The Commission is “very thrilled” by the response, which “exceeds far beyond our expectations,” said Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for technological sovereignty. The Commission will launch an official call for proposals at the end of the year, possibly in November, she said.
In February, the Commission announced €20 billion in EU funding to support four or five gigafactories, which will specialise in training very large AI models, as part of an InvestAI initiative aiming to mobilise €200 billion in public and private funding.
The proposals are “immense in scale,” and represent intentions to invest a total of more than €230 billion over the next five years, Virkkunen said, although the actual total is likely to be much lower following the selection process.
The majority of stakeholders who expressed an interest are European, but they also include some global companies and investors. The Commission did not reveal their names.
Read the full statement here.
The European Innovation Council (EIC) has selected 40-start-ups and SMEs to obtain almost €230 million in funding under the EIC Accelerator “for their transformative technologies and strong commercial promise.”
Eighty-seven percent of the winning companies will receive a combination of grants and equity investment, while the rest has secured one or the other.
According to the EIC, the chosen start-ups and SMEs represent 16 EU member states and associated countries, led by Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden.
More details here.
The new building in Seville will be the site of the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and is the first of its kind to fully embody the New European Bauhaus principles. Its construction is due to last two years.
“The New European Bauhaus [is] an initiative that is giving us the opportunity to transform society - from small businesses to disadvantaged neighbourhoods - making it more sustainable and improving European's way of living,” said Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU commissioner for startups, research and innovation.
Watch the opening livestream here.
The European Commission’s proposal to develop a comprehensive strategy for research and technology infrastructures (RTIs) is “a timely and essential step,” CESAER universities say in a position paper.
Whether they are living labs or particle accelerators, RTIs “serve as vital platforms for scientific discovery, fostering talent, technological progress and scaling up of European companies into global champions,” the paper says.
To this aim, CESAER calls on Europe to unify infrastructures through “a purpose- and outcome-driven approach,” use universities as anchors to boost access and visibility, ensure robust digital infrastructures, support talent and skills, and provide legal clarity and alignment with state aid rules.
Read the full statement here.
France and Spain sent most proposals for the 2025 call under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND scheme, which has just closed after attracting a record 136 applications to co-fund doctoral and postdoctoral programmes.
In 2024, only 81 proposals were submitted and 27 selected for funding, including 12 doctoral training programmes and 15 postdoctoral fellowship programmes.
Under this call, the EU will finance some 30 projects with an indicative budget of €105.6 million.
More details here.
The European Commission has granted the legal status of European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) to DANUBIUS-RI, an international centre for advanced studies on river-sea systems.
Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Moldova, Netherlands, Romania and the UK are participating in the new ERIC, which focuses on quantifying key aspects of water stores, sediment dynamics and pollutants – among others.
“The new status strengthens its position as a key player in facilitating excellent science across the continuum from river source to sea,” the Commission said in a statement.
More details here.
EU research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva hosted an artificial intelligence (AI) centred roundtable, as part of the Commission’s process to shape the upcoming European strategy for artificial intelligence in science.
“Today’s discussion reminded us that Europe’s scientific edge depends on giving researchers access to the best AI tools,” said Zaharieva.
More details here.
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