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.
In line with its new Ocean Pact, the European Commission has granted €116 million to 13 projects under the latest EU Mission Ocean and Waters calls.
The projects, which focus on preserving offshore marine protected areas, reducing the environmental impact of fisheries on marine species and strengthening citizen science in the marine sector, will be implemented across various sea basins, including the Black Sea, the Danube River and the Mediterranean Sea.
More details here.
The Swiss-based Paul Scherrer Institute inaugurated its upgraded Swiss Light Source, a synchrotron facility that produces X-rays billions of times brighter than a hospital scanner, allowing scientists to study materials and biological structures at atomic resolution.
The upgrade will accelerate the path from scientific discovery to practical applications, accelerating scientific discoveries across healthcare, energy, climate, and future technologies.
“The Swiss Light Source was at its inception and is now after its comprehensive upgrade a national infrastructure built for the common good,” said Paul Scherrer Institute’s director Christian Rüegg. “It is a tool for Swiss researchers and industry, and for our international guests to answer questions that matter for the future of people and the planet.”
More details here.
The European Research Council (ERC), the EU’s main funding body for basic research, is holding webinars to guide researchers through its 2026 Work Programme, which outlines €2.7 billion in funding opportunities.
On September 11, the ERC will host a session for applicants, focusing on detailed changes, rules and opportunities in the 2026 programme.
The first webinar, held in July, introduced the €2.7 billion budget, application calendar and eligibility conditions for newcomers to ERC grants. A recording of that session is available online here.
Registration for the September 11 webinar is available here.
The European Commission has opened a public consultation on the upcoming European Biotech Act. The EU executive is seeking opinions from industry, researchers, investors tand other stakeholders.
The consultation will close on 10 November 2025.
More details here.
The European Commission has launched a call for evidence on the upcoming European Research Area (ERA) Act, which will introduce legislative measures to tackle the fragmentation of research efforts across the EU and promote the free movement of knowledge and talent.
Researchers, businesses, policymakers and other stakeholders are invited to share their views on the barriers to the full achievement of the ERA and on potential solutions.
The call for evidence will close on September 10 and will be followed by a 12-week public consultation. The ERA Act proposal is due to be published in the second half of 2026.
Thirty consortia have signed grant agreements with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency for over €200 million under the 2024 Horizon Europe Missions calls.
The projects, which are driven by around 500 beneficiaries from 34 countries, including SMEs, research organisations and schools, will develop innovative actions to contribute to two key Missions: adapting to climate change and restoring oceans and waters by 2030.
Read the full statement here.
The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency has launched a call for expression of interest as it looks to recruit three new programme managers and establish a reserve list for future opportunities.
The agency is looking for experts with scientific, technological or innovation experience in space, quantum, agrifood, sustainable electronics, renewable energy and construction.
Programme managers are set for an expanded role under proposed changes to the European Innovation Council inspired by the US Advanced Research Projects Agency model, some of which will be piloted in 2026.
For now, however, the published job description closely resembles previous calls. The reason given for the recruitment drive is that some of the 10 current programme managers are reaching the end of their contract.
More information about how to apply is available here.
The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) has helped provide funding towards key technologies, but applicants still face regulatory and structural barriers, according to an interim evaluation report by the European Commission.
The document points to funding gaps for the start-up and scale-up phases, a fragmented landscape and misalignment between funding instruments, and a comparative disadvantage to the US system, which offers a more favourable environment for industry.
However, the Commission says it is “too early to draw firm conclusions about the extent to which STEP has achieved its core objectives.”
Read the full report here.
Portugal’s Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC) says the EU needs a cohesive approach to research and technology infrastructures (RTIs).
“These infrastructures must be treated as enablers across the full research and innovation chain, from advanced training and frontier research to technology validation and deployment,” INESC TEC says in a position paper.
In response to the European Commission’s consultation on a strategic framework for RTIs, the institute is advising to establish a cohesive governance framework, secure lifecycle investment instruments, improve interoperability and integration, boost access and support, address regional asymmetries, and align RTIs with mission-oriented policy frameworks.
Read the full statement here.
The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) has selected 40 winners of its third Women TechEU funding scheme, which received 1,038 applications from 43 eligible countries.
The winning start-ups are located in 13 countries, three of which are Widening countries.
More details here.
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