European research ‘needs new initiatives and more funding’

The European Union should invest €220 billion (£184 billion) in its next research programme while introducing a string of new initiatives in order to remain competitive with the US and China, an expert group has advised.

Led by former Portuguese science minister Manuel Heitor, a group of 15 experts appointed by the European Commission’s directorate-general for research and innovation presented a series of recommendations for the remainder of Horizon Europe as well as its successor.

The report, Align, act, accelerate: Research, technology and innovation to boost European competitiveness, stresses that Europe’s “global importance in research, innovation and technology development has declined”, with “both investments in and impact from research and innovation” falling behind as other countries ramp up their capacities.

Investment in research and innovation, the report states, will ensure the “future security, strength and freedom” of the EU amid challenges including the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), global conflict and the climate crisis.

The proposed €220 billion ring-fenced budget for Horizon Europe’s successor, currently known as FP10, is larger than the €200 billion total suggested in the recent Draghi report, as well as by organisations including the European Research Council. The framework programme should enable “Europe to take the lead in international/global RD&I collaboration and governance”, the report advises. Member states should also be encouraged to make “ambitious national plans and investments” in research and innovation.

The expert group further recommends that “all applications reviewed as excellent across the framework programme” should be funded “through a combination of EU framework programme, structural and member state funds”.

New initiatives proposed include the creation of an “Industrial Competitiveness and Technology Council” to boost industry investment in research and innovation; the council would monitor rising technologies and support “pan-European collaborative research that has a clear European added value”.

A “Societal Challenges Council”, meanwhile, would enable the funding and support of research tackling issues including climate change, mental health and biodiversity loss, as well as projects supporting the strategic agenda of a democratic, competitive and secure region. In order to “stimulate disruptive research and innovation”, a new “experimental unit” should be established to test rapid funding methods, with the United States’ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency cited as an example.

To attract and retain young talent, meanwhile, the expert group proposes the introduction of a new instrument, “Choose Europe”. The programme would fund early-career researchers for five years, with the host institutions of successful applicants offering employment opportunities in their fields at the end of the funding period.

The League of European Research Universities (Leru) welcomed the report in a statement, commending its emphasis on an increased, ring-fenced budget for FP10 as well as its support for existing funding instruments including the European Research Council, the European Innovation Council and the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions.

While the proposed new initiatives were “interesting”, Leru said, “too little detail is provided in the report to assess the added value of these proposals”. The umbrella group also criticised the report’s recommendation that the EU “embrace the fact that dual use occurs naturally given the ubiquitous nature of modern technology”, advising that “some flagging of projects” should continue in order to differentiate between dual use and civil research.

Kurt Deketelaere, Leru secretary-general, shared concerns about the next framework programme, noting that the political guidelines for Ursula von der Leyen’s new commission suggested FP10 “will be policy-driven, not programme-driven”, while the mission letter to incoming research and innovation commissioner, Ekaterina Zaharieva, did not mention FP10.

While describing the report as “interesting and important”, Professor Deketelaere called on outgoing innovation commissioner Iliana Ivanova and research and innovation director-general Marc Lemaître to “provide, as soon as possible, some clarity on the future of EU R&I funding and the role of the framework programme”.

emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com