European research and innovation organisations bring a united voice to Commissioner Zaharieva

On 18 June, EU-LIFE and other representatives of Europe’s research and innovation community met with Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, and Manuel Aleixo, Cabinet Expert in her team. The meeting provided an important opportunity for direct exchange at a decisive stage in the definition of FP10.

“Europe’s research and innovation community has a stronger voice when it works together. At this crucial moment, our shared message is clear: Europe cannot keep raising its ambitions while lowering its investment. FP10 must remain self-standing and have the scale needed to support excellent research, talent, collaboration, and long-term competitiveness,” said Marta Agostinho, Executive Director of EU-LIFE.

Budget was highlighted as a key factor for the future of FP10. Europe cannot expect research and innovation to deliver on competitiveness, talent and long-term prosperity without the necessary resources. Securing a sufficiently resourced FP10 must therefore remain a central priority in the negotiations.

The relationship between FP10 and the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) was also discussed. While strong connections between the two instruments can help align Europe’s research, innovation and competitiveness agendas, the way this relationship is designed will be crucial. The interaction must be close, effective and simple, while ensuring that research and innovation are properly supported and incentivised.

The exchange also covered the importance of a balanced programme architecture, including adequate support for lower Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), as well as an appropriate balance between bottom-up and top-down approaches in Pillar II. These elements are essential to ensure that FP10 supports the full research and innovation pipeline, from frontier knowledge to application and impact.

This coordinated engagement follows previous joint work by CESAER, the Coimbra Group, EU-LIFE, the European University Association, the League of European Research Universities, The Guild and the Young European Research Universities Network, including the publication of joint amendments to the European Commission’s FP10 legal texts and continued exchanges with European policymakers. Representing a broad range of research and innovation actors across Europe, these organisations are united by a shared conviction: FP10 must be ambitious enough to meet Europe’s needs.

EU-LIFE is committed to continue working with partner organisations and European institutions to advocate for an FP10 that strengthens Europe’s scientific leadership, supports excellent and collaborative research, and enables research and innovation to deliver long-term value for society.