Horizon Europe is well underway, but the world of European R&D policy goes well beyond the confines of the €95.5 billion R&D programme. EU climate, digital, agriculture and regional policies all have significant research and innovation components. 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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Universities should create a “culture of academic freedom”, according to a new paper by the European University Association (EUA) published today.
The paper includes guidelines and practical advice on how universities could do a better job protecting themselves and their teaching and research staff from interference and attempts to limit their autonomy. “[…] It is essential to support universities as central actors in the protection and promotion of academic freedom,” the paper said. As the institutional autonomy of universities in Europe is under increased, the paper offers some basic guidelines on how universities, individuals and university communities can act to protect researchers’ freedoms.
The paper says universities should further protect their own members from external pressure and participate in dialogues with governments. The EUA further recommends setting up broader funding schemes to limit conflicts through financial codependence.
Several MEPs have been trying to push freedom of research at the top of European Parliament’s agenda, citing concerns over violations of academic freedom across EU member states. However, the Parliament has not put forward any legislation on the topic.
Ultimately, the universities should step up, the EUA report notes. “Academic freedom is best protected by guidelines or regulations set by universities or their associations,” said Monica Steinel, deputy secretary general of the EUA.
Read the full paper here.
More than 80% of European citizens think that the overall influence of science and technology in society is positive but have doubts about the use of AI in research according to new Eurobarometer data published by the European Commission today.
Half of the respondents believe that AI can advance scientific discoveries, while 25% do not trust science made with the help of AI.
The data also shows that 8 in 10 respondents believe the results of publicly funding research should be made available online free of charge. A large majority of the respondents (87%) are interested in renewable energy, while 79% are interested in communication technologies), and 77% in combatting infectious diseases.
“We should […] continue to promote openness, transparency and integrity, while enhancing public engagement of citizens and other stakeholders in research and innovation,” said Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner for start-ups, research and innovation.
Read the survey here.
Only 44% of researchers funded by the European Research Council (ERC) have commercially utilised their patents, a new survey by the ERC found.
As the European Commission’s new competitiveness strategy emphasised, the EU’s share of global patents is comparable to the US and China, but only a third of them are commercially exploited.
Most researchers are licensing their patents to companies located in the same country of their host institution or neighbouring countries, the analysis says.
Meanwhile, the main obstacle that they face when licensing is the need for extensive proof of technology viability and, therefore, the lack of interested buyers.
“Translating such research into economic and societal benefits remains a key challenge – one that is crucial for the EU’s future competitiveness,” the ERC notes.
Read the full report here.
The European Commission and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) have launched the 2025 SME Fund to help SMEs protect their intellectual property (IP) rights.
Building onto the success of the last funding period, the grant scheme will help SMEs apply to and set up patents, trademarks and industrial designs – among other possibilities, thanks to EU funding of up to €1,500.
This time around, their goal is to help even more enterprises to protect their IP.
As the Commission stresses, the 2024 SME Fund was already highly successful, as almost three quarters of applicants were funded. For 76% of those, it was the first time protecting their IP.
“This proves that protecting IPR is essential to increase the value of a company, become more attractive for investments and gaining a solid base for future growth”, the statement reads.
More about it here.
The European Commission has adopted the 2025 European Defence Fund (EDF) Work Programme, under which key collaborative defence technologies and capabilities projects will receive more than €1 billion.
In line with Brussels’ Competitiveness Compass, the Work Programme will allocate around or over €100 million to address future challenges in the fields of ground combat, space, air combat and energy resilience and environmental transition.
“This year’s focus is on technologies supporting ground combat and force protection capabilities,” the Commission said. “For the first time, Ukrainian entities will be eligible to receive acceleration support as third parties in this type of calls.”
Of the nine competitive calls for proposals addressing 31 topics that will be launched, one will collect 4% of the EDF 2025 budget for applicants to work on disruptive technologies.
More than €40 million of EU funding is also allocated to R&D efforts in critical areas like cyber and underwater warfare.
Calls for proposals are set to be opened in mid-February 2025. The deadline for submission is 16 October 2025.
Read the full statement here.
FP10 should help unify fragmented EU initiatives, promote collaboration with international partners and anticipate technological developments, according to a paper by EU affairs forum CEPS, health research foundation Wellcome Trust and Imperial College London.
The paper says that FP10 should be split into two parts: one dedicated to industrial competitiveness, the other to multistakeholder partnerships for public goods.
“FP10 cannot simply be designed to distribute funds to European researchers, or to cater to Europe’s strategic need,” the paper reads. “It is pivotal to balance the European strategic dimension with Europe’s ambition to lead on key global challenges.”
The report says FP10 should be include more international partners but also address disparities within Europe.
Read the full paper here.
The European Commission has launched a new Biotech and Biomanufacturing Hub to support the commercialisation of innovative products from SMEs and start-ups.
As part of the Commission’s strategy to boost biotechnology and biomanufacturing in the EU, the Hub will help companies involved in biotechnology, one of the booming innovative sectors in the 27-member bloc, access information on the relevant EU legislation, funding opportunities and support networks.
“Biotechnology is a key driver of industrial innovation, competitiveness and productivity, while using fewer resources, producing less emissions and generating less waste,” said Stéphane Séjourné, executive vice-president for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy.
The Hub will be developed by a dedicated taskforce of small and medium-sized enterprises advisors under the Enterprise Europe Network, the Commission explained.
Read the full statement here.
The UK has invested £1 million in 16 ed-tech companies that aim at developing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to automate part of the teachers’ feedback and assessment process.
“Often, teachers spend a lot of time reviewing and marking students’ work,” the report reads.
With those new AI tools, teachers will not only be able to focus more on direct student interaction and lesson delivery, but they could also see the time that they spend on formative assessments be reduced by as much as 50%, it says.
The 16 developers involved in this initiative, which range from start-ups to universities, will ensure the accuracy and relevance of the tools using a government-backed store of curriculum guidelines, lesson plans and other educational materials.
The report however points out that “for AI to truly change education, it must align with the specific needs of teachers and students, ensuring that the technology complements, rather than replaces, the human elements of teaching.”
More about it here.
The Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research, and Energy (ITRE) approved the renewal of the EU-Ukraine science and technology cooperation agreement by 77 votes to 1, extending it for another five years.
“Ukraine has a long tradition of science and technology excellence and despite the difficulties of the last years and Russia’s unlawful and unprovoked war of aggression, Ukraine still has first class science and scientists, and remains an important science, technology and innovation (STI) actor in the neighbourhood of the Union,” the committee said in a statement today.
The EU and Ukraine first signed the agreement in 2002, renewing it four times since.
A complementary agreement allows Ukraine to participate in Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research framework program.
In October, the European Commission released data supporting the renewal approved today, reporting 223 Ukrainian participations in Horizon Europe to date. The target is to reach 336 participations, exceeding Ukraine’s success rate in the previous R&D framework programme, Horizon 2020.
The European Commission has launched RM Comp, a new tool supporting research managers in developing key skills, promoting career goals and aligning practices with European standards.
Developed under EU-funded projects CARDEA and RM ROADMAP, RM Comp helps research managers identify core competencies and advance career development for both individuals and organisations.
“RM Comp enables self-assessment, highlights skill gaps, and guides professional development,” the Commission said.
“Organisations can integrate the framework into hiring practices, training programmes, and performance reviews, while funding agencies and policymakers can use it to promote capacity building and collaboration.”
RM Comp is a complement to EU tools like ResearchComp and EURAXESS.
More about it here.
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