Investing in Europe’s future through an ambitious FP10
EU-LIFE and partner organisations publish the report of “Investing in what makes Europe strong: research and innovation in the next EU budget”, streamlining the main outcomes of the event co-organised in Brussels on 9 September 2026. Bringing together European policymakers and leaders of universities and research institutes, the event highlighted why Europe needs ambitious, protected and predictable investment in research and innovation.
Research and innovation underpin Europe’s wider ambitions. Progress in health, agriculture, clean energy, security and digital technologies depends on knowledge, talent and discoveries developed over many years. A central message of the event was the need to invest at least €200 billion in the next Horizon Europe programme (FP10), supported by a protected budget, predictable annual funding and the launch of the first calls in January 2028. These conditions are critical to enable researchers and institutions to build teams, invest and sustain long-term collaboration.
The exchanges held during the event highlighted the importance of supporting fundamental research and early-stage collaboration alongside innovation. Public investment enables promising ideas to develop while their applications remain uncertain, laying the foundations for future breakthroughs. Effective connections with the European Competitiveness Fund should help discoveries progress towards application while preserving each programme’s autonomy and purpose.
Balanced support across disciplines, excellence, talent, academic freedom, research integrity and openness must remain central to FP10. Stronger national and regional investment is equally essential: European cooperation brings scale and complementary expertise, but cannot compensate for insufficient national funding.
Speakers included the Members of the European Parliament Siegfried Mureşan (co-rapporteur for the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework MFF) and Eszter Lakos (shadow rapporteur for FP10 specific programme); Rianne Letschert, the Netherlands’ Minister of Education, Culture and Science; Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council; Stephanie Wehner, Director of the European Quantum Internet Alliance; and Fredrik Erixon, founding Director of the European Centre for International Political Economy. University and research institute leaders included Linda Doyle, Gregor Majdič, Adam Kola, Orla Feely and Christine Durinx, Managing Director of VIB and member of the EU-LIFE Board.
The event and report form part of EU-LIFE’s continued cooperation with partner organisations CESAER, the Coimbra Group, EUA, The Guild, LERU and YERUN. Together, we are helping shape FP10 and make the case for research and innovation as essential investments in Europe’s future.
