Viewpoint: a brutal fight lies ahead in securing our future in research

Securing the necessary resources and political support for the next research programme, FP10 will require nothing less than a united, relentless advocacy campaign across Europe. I ask all leaders and key stakeholder organisations in European research and innovation to stand together. You have the influence and credibility to shape this debate, and I urge you to use it. The future of European research and innovation is in our hands, and we must fight for it.

We find ourselves on the brink of a defining moment for Europe’s future in research and innovation. The recent publication by the European Commission of the report ‘Align, Act, Accelerate’, prepared by an expert group that I had the pleasure to chair, outlines a bold vision for the next chapter of European research and innovation. However, we must be clear: the next two years will bring a brutal political fight over priorities, funding instruments, and budget allocations at the European level.

The stakes are enormous. Following the report by former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta on the future of the single market and his counterpart Mario Draghi’s analysis on the future of European competitiveness, it is evident that competition should be considered on a global scale, and we must all join forces in Europe to face an increasingly complex and competitive world, including the rise of Chinese science.

Our global competitors, such as the US and China, are not slowing down. On the contrary, they are accelerating their investment in research, technology, and innovation, while Europe risks falling behind, including a decline in its science and innovation capacity. In the face of such formidable global competition, it is essential that we, the research and innovation community, unite more deeply and effectively than ever before.

The report from the expert group I chaired includes twelve recommendations which can be summed up in a single overarching message: Europe must dramatically scale up its efforts if it is to maintain a leadership role in a rapidly shifting global landscape. Securing the necessary resources, however, will require all of us to engage in an intense political struggle over the next two years. It will be a fight to ensure that research, innovation, science, and technology are recognised as the foundation of Europe’s future competitiveness, sustainability, and security. As Draghi puts it, "Without action, we will have to either compromise our welfare, our environment, or our freedom."

In this context, the role of key stakeholder organisations is more critical than ever. Working together through leading organisations in the research and innovation landscape, Business Europe, the CESAER group of science and technology universities, the EARTO association of research organisations, the European Roundtable for Industry (ERT), the League of European Research Universities, Science Europe and The Guild group of research-intensive universities, we must launch a concerted and coordinated effort to make our collective voice heard. We cannot afford to be divided or complacent. Our shared mission is clear: to secure the funding, policy frameworks and political support that will enable Europe to lead in the next age of innovation.

A new age of invention and ingenuity

Ursula von der Leyen’s “Europe’s Choice” setting out the European Commission’s political guidelines for 2024 – 2029, has placed research and innovation at the heart of Europe’s strategy for the future. In this document, she clearly states, “Europe’s competitiveness, and its position in the race to a clean and digital economy, will depend on starting a new age of invention and ingenuity.” This vision is aligned with the core messages from our report, as well as the strategic priorities articulated by Letta and Draghi, that we must work together more deeply than ever before to realise the full potential of European science and technology.

But this will not happen without a fight. Research and innovation are increasingly becoming a complex battleground. Numerous interest groups, some with far deeper pockets than ours, will oppose the scale of investment we are calling for. They will push for alternative priorities, and they will argue against placing research and innovation at the centre of the European budget. It is vital that we are bolder, more united, and more assertive than ever before if we are to overcome these challenges.

This is why we must urgently intensify our advocacy efforts. We need to forge alliances not only within the academic community but also with industry, civil society, and political leaders at all levels. In my discussions with key stakeholder organisations over the past year, I have been encouraged by several initiatives, including those from ERT and CESAER.

CESAER’s contribution, in addition to the expected focus on boosting the European Research Council (ERC) and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), also includes a call for a dedicated council to enhance Europe’s global competitiveness through science and technology research. This council would focus on accelerating and de-risking the adoption of new technologies, while also supporting the development of a new generation of scientists and engineers who will drive industrial success and contribute to a flourishing research and innovation system.

ERT’s contribution, in addition to the expected focus on industrial success, also includes full support for ERC and MSCA as vital contributors to frontier research, research careers and the leadership of European industry. These examples demonstrate the commitment of key players to move beyond the outdated basic versus applied research debate, embracing the full research and innovation continuum as essential to Europe’s leadership in cutting edge science and technology and to its global competitiveness.

We cannot afford to be passive or reactive in this critical moment. Our global competitors are not waiting for us, and the challenges we face - of climate change, digital transformation, geopolitical tension - demand swift, decisive action. As Orla Feely, president of CESAER and University College Dublin, put it, “European leadership in science and technology is part of the backbone supporting our welfare, environment, and freedom.”

I ask all of you who believe in the transformative power of science and technology to stand together.

Together, we can shape a brighter future for Europe, one where research and innovation are at the heart of our economy, our society and our global leadership.

Manuel Heitor was chair of the European Commission’s expert group on the future of the Framework Programme for research and innovation, which published its findings on 16 October 2024. He is a professor at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon and was formerly Portugal’s science minister. He also serves as a CESAER envoy. This viewpoint is based on a speech Heitor gave at the CESAER annual meeting at Strathclyde University, Glasgow earlier this month.