Overview
The Commission headlined debates on the Start-up and Scale-up Strategy, AI, Life Sciences, the European Innovation Strategy and the European Research Area. There were also sessions on topics such as research infrastructures, the EU clinical research ecosystem, and academic freedom, among others.
Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen’s opening address emphasised talent, funding, and scaling up.
Commissioner Zarahieva emphasised completion of the single market, maintaining high ambition for at least a 3 percent GDP on R&D target, and simplification in Horizon Europe.
Standout issue – Artificial Intelligence
Building on the AI Act including simplification of regulation, the issue of taking a lead on AI emerged as a security, competitiveness and democratic imperative. This included its links to dual use, defence, technology sovereignty, and an AI that supports the European way of life. The ambition is to build a sovereign, sustainable world class AI infrastructure that drives competitive advantage including AI Gigafactories, with strategies in progress for Applied AI and AI in Science.
Key themes emerging across the EU R&I Days – summary
Several themes emerged across sessions during the two days:
- The completion of the single market including improving the regulatory environment and enabling freedom of movement
- Appropriate use of AI in support of Horizon Europe and R&I itself and an emerging democratic and ethical EU AI technology and brand
- Critical technologies and how to implement dual use in research funding
- Research infrastructures underpinning a stable and vibrant R&I ecosystem
- Attracting and retaining R&I talent from across the globe, and supporting mobility
- The investment capital gap to scale and anchor emerging EU companies
- Simplification measures in Horizon Europe including speed to grant
- Implementation of Horizon Europe and other enabling EU policies and strategies
- The importance of preserving EU democracy in the context of geopolitical and societal disruption
Support for cutting-edge research and the European Research Area
Strong topics and proposals emerging to support a stable, open and attractive EU research environment were:
- the ERA Act including its implementation in all Member States
- the unique features driving the global competitiveness and attractiveness of the ERC and MSCA schemes
- Choose Europe – attracting and retaining diverse talent, connected to the EU offer on academic freedom and quality of life, driving excellent research, including supporting Early Career Researchers
- the Commission’s draft Framework Programme 10 proposal including the increased budget proposal and linkages to the European Competitiveness Fund
- mobility and the practicalities of relocation from one Member State to another
- the need to support SSH especially in turbulent times
The Commissioner was supportive of calls for swift implementation of the ERA (scheduled she indicated for early in the legislative plans for 2027).
The Commission stated that the Choose Europe message was being heard, including the highest ever number of MSCA applications.
The discussion also highlighted the issue of tenure for academics beyond the ERC grant lifetime. There was a vigorous discussion on encouraging the next generation of scientific talent.
Manuel Heitor, Chair of the Expert Group on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe made a plea to ensure the quality of jobs for young people in the future, as well as for additional cofunding to MSCA. EU values attracting scientists such as freedom, stability and diversity needed to be safeguarded.
Support to drive forward innovation
The Commission’s new Start-up and Scale-up strategy aims to unlock Venture Capital for high-risk high-tech companies, with a positive increase in VC in Europe in recent years although an early stage scale up gap remains, compared to global competitors. The European Competitiveness Fund will provide further enabling support.
Europe’s science capabilities in areas such as deeptech, AI, quantum and other critical technologies are world leading, however the critical gap is in accessing capital to scale.
Key themes and proposals emerging on driving a faster, more harmonised and more agile approach to innovation support were:
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- new EC networks for start-ups and scale ups in the Start-up and Scale-up strategy
- EC regulatory sandboxes and simplification/harmonisation for start ups in the Start-up and Scale-up strategy
- leveraging appropriate parts of Horizon Europe to incentivise private sector investment
- more conditionality within funding towards successful start-ups
- greater investment by Member States (including higher public procurement risk appetite)
- larger EU investment funds to bridge the gap to bring products to market
- greater cross-border alignment e.g. on AI, quantum (regulation, implementation)
- enabling the leading EU R&I players in specific critical fields to work together to push the envelope at speed.
Sessions from the EU R&I Days may be watched back online.