VIDEO: EU research commissioner calls on R&D community to push for bigger budget

EU research commissioner Iliana Ivanova urged the research and innovation community in Europe to make the case for a bigger budget for the next framework programme for research and innovation.

“If we make the value of the programme clearer, we stand a better chance of sustaining the high level of investment that we need for the programme to continue delivering benefits for the people as we celebrate the past and prepare for the future,” Ivanova said in a video message to delegates at the Science|Business annual conference on Tuesday.

Ivanova was speaking at a conference celebrating the 40th anniversary of the framework programme and the 20th anniversary of Science|Business. She praised Science|Business for “two decades of exceptional contributions to the scientific and business communities.”

Her comments on the framework budget comes shortly after EU member states decided to cut €2.1 billion from the remainder of Horizon Europe, the ninth iteration of the EU’s main programme for research and innovation.

FP10, Horizon Europe’s successor, is due to start in 2028, but the research community is voicing their concerns about tightening public purses during a perfect storm of economic, strategic and military problems in Europe.

Over the past 40 years, the framework programme has has become “a cornerstone in the EU's commitment to fostering research and innovation,” Ivanova said.