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 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.
Digital research infrastructure for neuroscience EBRAINS has launched a call for contributions to a roadmap that will define its scientific, clinical and technological priorities from 2026 through to 2036.
“We seek visionary yet concrete proposals that define science that cannot be done elsewhere – projects, capabilities, or collaborations uniquely enabled by EBRAINS’ data, models, compute, and federated ecosystem,” EBRAINS says.
The roadmap process will officially be launched at the EBRAINS Summit 2025 on December 10, and the deadline for submitting contributions close on March 1. A synthesis of the roadmap is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026 and its adoption in the first quarter of 2027.
More details here.
Supernovas, a European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) community which aims to increase female presence in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, has launched with the Esade Center for Social Impact and Equinox Equality (ECSI) a tool designed to identify and reduce gender bias in early-stage investments.
The tool accompanied a report on gender equality progress in early-stage venture capital.
“While many venture capital firms are increasingly aware of gender bias, the research shows that women founders still face systemic challenges in visibility, evaluation and deal flow. Across Europe, fewer than one in four deep tech start-ups have a woman in the founding team, and all-women founding teams attract barely 2 percent of early-stage venture capital funding,” the report says.
Read the full report here.
The European Commission will grant €105.6 million to fund 31 projects under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) 2025 call for COFUND, which provides funding for training and career development, including 14 doctoral training programmes and 17 post-doctoral fellowship programmes.
According to MSCA, 136 applications were submitted, of which 134 were eligible and evaluated, bringing the success rate to 23%.
More details here.
The Sustainable Urban Net Zero Network for Ukraine (SUN4Ukraine), an EU-funded initiative which aims to guide Ukrainian cities towards climate neutrality, has announced the partnerships of 12 cities with European ones that are part of the EU Mission on climate-neutral and smart cities.
“Through these unique partnerships, the EU Cities Mission will help Ukrainian Flagship Municipalities embed climate neutrality in their reconstruction strategies,” the European Commission says.
For example, Kyiv will be paired with Leipzig, Chernihiv with Amsterdam, and Vinnytsia with Dijon. Munich and Oslo are set to serve as advisory cities.
More details here.
The European Commission has opened the Erasmus+ 2026 call with €145,6 million to support for two years higher education institutions consortia engaged in an already existing transnational cooperation at institutional level.
“The call objective is to enable bridge funding for European Universities alliances until the start of the next EU Multiannual Financing Framework,” the Commission says.
More details here.
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