Dear CESAER friends and colleagues,
It is with a sense of urgency that I write to you today, as 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 a high-level expert group that I had the pleasure to chair—just one day before I addressed many of you at the CESAER Annual Meetings 2024 in Glasgow, 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. As I mentioned in Glasgow, following Letta’s report and Draghi’s analysis, 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 United States and China, are not slowing down. On the contrary, they are accelerating their investments 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 summarised in three main messages: i) we need a strong and robust European framework programme as a game-changer to address the EU's declining competitiveness; ii) we need an adequate budget for the framework programme to spur public and private investment in research, technology, and innovation in Europe; and iii) we must guarantee radical simplification within the framework programme, along with radical innovations in addressing innovation procurement, global cooperation in science and technology, and defence-based research and technology.
Our report recommends a framework programme with a portfolio of investments to better address four interconnected and interrelated "spheres of action": i) competitive excellence (e.g., ERC, EIC, MSCA); ii) industrial competitiveness; iii) societal challenges; and iv) the European research and innovation ecosystem. It calls for a minimum budget of €220 billion for the next framework programme (FP10). This ambitious figure is not a luxury but a necessity. Europe must dramatically scale up its efforts if it is to maintain its position in a rapidly shifting global landscape. Securing these 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 Mario Draghi put it: "Without action, we will have to either compromise our welfare, our environment, or our freedom."
In this context, CESAER’s role is more critical than ever. As leaders of over 50 of Europe’s top universities of science and technology, you stand at the forefront of this battle. Together with other key advocacy associations — for instance ERT, Business Europe, EARTO, Science Europe, LERU, and The Guild —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.
As I mentioned in Glasgow, Ursula von der Leyen’s “Europe Choice” has placed research and innovation at the heart of Europe’s strategy for the future. In her political guidelines for 2024-2029, 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 Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi. We must work together more deeply than ever before to realise the full potential of European science and technology.
This will, however, 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 contributions, in addition to the expected focus on boosting the European Research Council (ERC) and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), also include a call for a dedicated council aimed at enhancing Europe’s global competitiveness through transformative scientific and technological research. This research focuses on accelerating and de-risking the adoption of new technologies, while also supporting the development of a new generation of top scientists and engineers who will drive industrial success, thereby contributing to a flourishing research and innovation system. This demonstrates the commitment of key players to move beyond the outdated basic vs applied research debate, embracing the full research and innovation continuum as essential to Europe’s leadership in cutting-edge science and technology—and, thus, global competitiveness.
Let us not underestimate the challenge before us. Securing the necessary resources and political support for FP10 will require nothing less than a united, relentless advocacy campaign across Europe. As leaders of the most prestigious universities of science and technology of the continent, your voices carry weight. You have the influence and credibility to shape this debate, and I urge you to use it.
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—climate change, digital transformation, geopolitical tensions—demand swift, decisive action. As Orla Feely, President of CESAER and University College Dublin, aptly stated: “European leadership in science and technology is part of the backbone supporting our welfare, environment, and freedom.” The future of European research and innovation is in our hands, and we must fight for it.
I ask you to stand with CESAER and with all those who believe in the transformative power of science and technology. 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.
Thank you for your continued commitment to this cause. I look forward to standing with you in this brutal, but vital, fight for Europe’s future.
Manuel Heitor was the Chair of the European Commission’s high-level expert group on the future of the European framework programme for research and innovation, whose findings were published on 16 October 2024. He is a Full Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in Portugal and the founding director of IN+, the Centre for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research at IST. From November 2015 to March 2022, he served as Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education of Portugal, and from March 2005 to June 2011, he was Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Higher Education. Since June 2023, Manuel has been serving as the CESAER Envoy for Research Careers.
This editorial is based on a speech delivered by Manuel Heitor at the CESAER Annual Meetings 2024, held at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, where he addressed leaders from over 50 of Europe's leading universities of science and technology. The speech took place on 17 October, one day after the publication of the Align, Act, Accelerate report.
(c) Photo Guy Hinks featuring Manuel Heitor (left) and Orla Feely (right)