HORIZON BLOG: European R&D policy newsbytes

The European Commission and the US have signed a joint statement to reaffirm their commitment to deepening cooperation on research and innovation. 

The EU and the US are expected to work towards addressing pressing global challenges, from climate change to healthcare, the Commission said in a statement. 

Signed under the EU-US Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation “it also aims to foster scientific excellence and shared values such as openness, academic freedom, research ethics, and evidence-based policymaking,” the Commission said, citing “a significant milestone in their bilateral relationship.” 

Read more about it here. 

The Partnership Knowledge Hub (PKH), a Horizon Europe expert group advising the Commission on coordinating EU R&I partnerships, has published a position paper calling for greater flexibility in implementing partnerships under the EU next research framework programme, FP10, set to start in 2028.

As partnerships differ significantly from regular R&I projects, the group argues that administrative procedure should differ from those used for other research framework programme’s actions.

“Partnerships need a dedicated set of ‘rules for participation’ that are attractive for partners and allow partnerships to achieve their objectives in a tailor-made and flexible manner without compromising their accountability,” the position paper emphasises.

Read the PKH opinion on European Partnerships under FP10 here.

Adopting a coordinated approach at the EU level by leveraging the full potential of the single market and economic and monetary union could significantly boost the bloc’s competitiveness, according to a European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) study published on Monday. 

“The study finds that, compared to a situation where member states act alone, a coordinated approach at EU level could bring an additional 0.9 % of GDP in 2035,” the document says. Moreover, a more ambitious integrated approach could lead to a benefit estimated at 2.6 % of additional GDP by 2035. 

With the EU lagging behind the US and China in research and innovation, the study emphasises the need for member states to act collectively to reduce inefficiencies. It also calls for greater private investment, more public-private partnerships, and more effective public funding in manufacturing, scaling-up, and infrastructure.

Read the EPRS study here.

The European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) launched today a call for proposals aimed at assembling a tenth knowledge and innovation community, EIT Water, that will focus on water, marine and maritime sectors and ecosystems. 

The selected research organisations, universities and industry will build a new sustainable innovation partnership to strengthen Europe’s water, marine and maritime sectors and ecosystems, tackling challenges such as water scarcity, droughts, floods, and marine and freshwater degradation.

“EIT Water will be a pan-European project to strengthen water innovations,” said Stefan Dobrev, Chairperson of the EIT Governing Board, who is inviting leaders in the water-related sectors “propose bold and impact-driven proposals ready to experiment and challenge the status quo, boosting Europe’s competitiveness.”

The deadline for submitting applications June 17, 2025.

More here.

On Wednesday, the Commission called on member states to review outbound investments by their companies into non-EU countries, with a focus on three strategic, high-risk technologies: semiconductors, AI, and quantum technologies. 

The recommended review, which is aimed at safeguarding the bloc's economic security, will span 15 months and cover transactions from 2021 onwards, with Member States required to submit a progress report by mid-July and a comprehensive report on the implementation of the recommendation and any identified risks by the end of June 2026. 

The Commission’s recommendation is part of the EU's broader Economic Security Strategy.

More here.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is set to bolster its support for research and innovation in the Western Balkans, as it includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Israel in the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS).

Launched in 2014, EIT RIS aims to help lagging countries connect local innovation actors with EIT’s innovation ecosystems.

To qualify for participation in the scheme, the three countries classified as 'moderate' or 'modest' innovators in one of the recent European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) assessments.

More information is available here.

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS) have signed an agreement in Brussels to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, advanced training, and innovative projects leveraging AI to tackle challenges in the life sciences.

The two organisations will work together on integrating AI into scientific research. The collaboration will also focus on enhancing data infrastructures and fostering researcher mobility.

“By further integrating AI into our scientific endeavors, we can unlock new insights and drive transformative solutions that benefit society as a whole,” said Edith Heard, EMBL Director General.

More information here.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) should follow Ukraine’s example and embrace artificial intelligence (AI), a report by Parliament’s Defence Committee said, warning of a mismatch between rhetoric and reality. 

“The use of AI in Ukraine shows that it offers serious military advantage on the battlefield,” explained MP Emma Lewell-Buck, the chair of a Defence Sub-Committee on Developing AI. 

“Our inquiry discovered a gap between the Ministry of Defence’s rhetoric and reality on AI. While the department acknowledges the importance of AI, these words have not been borne out by action,” she added. 

To make AI a core part of its toolkit, the report found that MOD would have to improve digital infrastructure, data management and the AI skills base, among other gaps. Recommendations include giving AI a greater role in military education, facilitating AI specialists’ move between the civilian and defence sectors, and working with smaller and non-traditional defence suppliers. 

“Artificial intelligence in defence is here to stay – the UK must move fast to avoid falling behind,” Lewell-Buck said. 

Read the report here. 

The European Commission has set up a new task force on start-ups and scale-ups and changed the management of directorates and units in its Directorate-General for Research & Innovation (DG RTD). 

The Commission has appointed András Inotai as acting principal adviser in the new task force on start-ups and scale-ups. 

Meanwhile, Pauline Rouch and Magda de Carli are respectively replacing Ann-Sofie Rönnlund and Manuel Aleixo, who have both joined the cabinet of the new research commissioner, Ekaterina Zaharieva.  

Rouch is the new Director of the Common Policy Centre Directorate and acting head of the unit overlooking the common programme analysis and regulatory reform. De Carli, on the other hand, is leading the unit on European Research Area (ERA) spreading excellence and research careers. She leaves her place at the European semester and country intelligence unit to Beñat Bilbao-Osorio. 

Signe Ratso is now the acting Director of the ERA and Innovation Directorate in place of Anna Panagopoulou, appointed as head of cabinet of Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas. 

Check the full chart here. 

The Europe Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has been awarded top investor in the Sifted’s 2024 ranking for its support to Europe’s fastest-growing start-ups. 

The ranking placed the EIT ahead of 49 other leading public and private investors, a statement read.

“This recognition highlights the EIT’s outstanding contribution to fostering innovation across Europe,” the statement said. “With a leverage ratio of 5.6, the EIT has mobilised nearly €10 billion in external funding.” 

Among the start-ups that the organisation invested in, the EIT cited Munich-based Orbem, which is boosting AI-powered imaging in the poultry industry, as well as Klimate, a Danish platform that simplifies carbon management for corporations. 

Read the full report here.