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A position paper published by Science Malta emphasises that the EU should prioritise improving access to RD&I funding and boosting programmes for Widening countries in the next European framework programme for research and innovation, FP10, set to start in 2028.
As a Widening country itself, Malta advocates for the expansion of Widening measures, the introduction of targeted grant schemes for these nations, and simplified access for Widening researchers to the European Research Council and the European Innovation Council instruments.
“Our experience underscores the importance of Widening measures and ensuring that each individual Member State can contribute to and benefit from European R&I initiatives,” the document says. “By addressing the specific needs and challenges of smaller and emerging innovators, FP10 can foster a more balanced and effective R&I ecosystem across the Union.”
Read Malta’s position on FP10 here.
The League of European Research Universities (LERU) and the Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN) are urging European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to maintain an autonomous research and innovation framework programme.
In a joint letter sent to von der Leyen, the group caution against splitting or merging the next framework programme, FP10, into a European Competitiveness Fund, arguing it would undermine the programme's effectiveness, autonomy, and bottom-up approach, which are crucial for fostering innovation.
In the letter, LERU and YERUN also emphasise the need to double FP10 funding to a dedicated budget of at least €200 billion and protect Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ from budget cuts.
Read the joint letter here.
The European Commission should work towards enhancing dual-use research and defense innovation, according to a high-profile report on strengthening Europe’s civilian and military preparedness and readiness from former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.
The report suggests that defence and dual-use considerations should be integrated into the EU's R&D initiatives on foundational technologies, including areas like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. This strategy would “reduce dependencies” and stop Europe from “lagging further behind the leading powers.”
Read the report here.
The European Innovation Council (EIC) is set to invest €1.4 billion in deep tech and strategic technologies in 2025, as outlined in the EIC Work Programme adopted by the Commission on Tuesday.
This investment marks a €200 million increase from the previous year, with €300 million allocated to the new EIC STEP Scale-up scheme specifically aimed at supporting deep tech scale-ups.
Additionally, €120 million will fund innovations such as autonomous robots and climate-resilient crops, while €250 million will target earlier-stage companies working on technologies like generative artificial intelligence and future mobility solutions.
“The targeted support, especially through the STEP scale-up call, will help bridge critical funding gaps and build a stronger, more resilient innovation ecosystem in Europe,” said research commissioner Iliana Ivanova.
Last week, Science|Business published a draft version of the work programme.
More details here.
Associated countries should be involved in co-creating FP10 partnerships, says Swiss research agency
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has released its position on the upcoming EU research framework programme, FP10, set to launch in 2028, outlining nine key recommendations that include the further development of European Partnerships.
The paper highlights that in FP10 “the top-down approach currently used to design them (the European Partnerships) should be replaced by a co-creation process involving the member states, the associate countries and the stakeholders in the field.”
In addition, SNSF pushes for:
- Strengthening global perspectives on research and innovation;
- Reinforcing a multidimensional approach to sustainability;
- Maintaining a civilian focus;
- Promoting research in the social sciences, humanities and arts across the entire programme;
- Rethinking the role of mission-oriented research;
- Integrating infrastructure and data;
- Securing sustainable funding and creating administration fit for purpose;
- Enhancing the career development of researchers and brain circulation.
Read the SNSF position on FP10 here.
Today, MEP Christian Ehler has been re-elected chair of the European Parliament's Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA), alongside vice-chairs Lina Gálvez Muñoz and Ivars Ijabs.
The STOA Panel, composed of 27 MEPs, plays a critical role in providing scientific advice and foresight to inform EU policy-making.
Once reelected, Ehler emphasised the importance of a depoliticised platform for discussing key issues like academic freedom.
“The Panel for the Future of Science and Technology is a key instrument for the European Parliament to analyse, predict, anticipate and plan issues related to the future of science and technology,” said EP Vice-President responsible for STOA Victor Negrescu.
Last year, the panel was embroiled in a controversy over a review it commissioned to analyse the impact of an upcoming legislation on the pharmaceutical industry. At the time, MEPs accused the panel’s administration of overstepping its powers by withdrawing the independent report.
The announcement of Ehler’s re-election is here.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted on a €201 billion EU budget for 2025 which allocates additional funding to key programmes like Horizon Europe and Erasmus+.
The 2025 budget, as approved by Parliament, includes a €242 million increase to Horizon Europe, with €50 million going to the health cluster.
Furthermore, MEPs wants to see an extra €70 million for Erasmus to expand access to the programme.
“Today’s vote is a strong signal of support for a citizen-centred EU budget focused on investments in economic development and improving people’s lives.," said general rapporteur for the EU budget 2025 Victor Negrescu.
Overall, MEPs reinstated €1.52 billion in funding cuts previously proposed by the Council.
The Parliament’s vote initiates three weeks of talks with the Council to finalise a deal on the EU budget 2025 by the year's end.
More details here.
Last week, the European Commission’s Expert Group on the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe released the "Align, Act, Accelerate" report, outlining recommendations for the next research and innovation framework programme, FP10, set to begin in 2028.
While the European University Association (EUA) welcomed most of the report's recommendations, it urged careful consideration of the proposal to create two new bodies, an Industrial Competitiveness and Technology Council and a European Societal Challenges Council, to steer collaborative research.
The EUA emphasised that although reinforcing European industrial competitiveness and addressing societal challenges are important, these issues cannot be effectively tackled in isolation.
“(...) Dividing the current Pillar 2 into two separate councils – an Industrial Competitiveness and Technology Council and a Societal Challenges Council – could create silos. This would weaken the programme’s collaborative spirit,” EUA warns.
Read the EUA reaction to the report here.
As the Heitor report calls for a simplification of the grant application system that would also reduce the reliance of applicants on external consultants, the European Association of Innovation Consultants (EAIC) says consultancy is not the issue.
The European Commission’s Expert Group tasked with the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe emphasised the need to simplify the application process, partly to decrease applicants' use of consultancy services.
“(…) The use of external consultants involves substantial costs for applicants, with some applicants reporting paying up to 12% of the total grant in ‘success fees’ to consultants,” says the Heitor report.
In response, the EAIC has strongly objected, arguing that applicants do not rely on consultants solely because of the application process's complexity, but external consultancy provide value “in many other ways."
The EAIC further explained that, rather than increasing transaction costs, consultants often help reduce them. As a final point, the group reminded that the Commission itself acknowledged the value of consultants in its Ex post evaluation of Horizon 2020 .
Read the EAIC reaction to the report here.
Today, the European Commission launched the Trusted Investors Network, the first network of venture capitalists to co-invest in Europe's deep-tech companies alongside the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund.
The network, consisting of 71 investors representing over €90 billion in assets, aims to boost capital for deep-tech innovation. The network will further strengthen co-investments, enabling European companies in critical technology sectors to scale and compete globally.
“By joining forces with venture capital, we are responding to the urgent challenges laid out in the Draghi report that call for bold action to ensure Europe's competitiveness in critical technologies,” said research commissioner Iliana Ivanova.
Read the announcement here.
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