The European University Association presents a strategic vision for FP10

‘Paving the way for impactful European R&I’ – a strategic vision for framework programme 10 (FP10), published in April, 2024 by the European University Association (EUA) positions Europe as a leader in new knowledge and discoveries and empowers the continent to tackle global challenges effectively.

We are proud to have one of our Partners, prof. Lucyna Wozniak, Vice-Rector for Research Strategy and International Relations at the Medical University of Lodz, Poalnd, among the university leaders and R&I experts drawn from EUA’s membership across Europe, contributed to the publication.

The vision examines the current state of play and challenges of the ongoing Framework Programme (Horizon Europe) and the European research and innovation (R&I) landscape within a broader context. It subsequently formulates recommendations, pinpointing what should be added, modified, or removed for the programme to reach its ambitious goals.

With a particular focus on the programme’s budget, structure, core principles, and horizontal topics, EUA’s key recommendations to European policymakers to ensure that the successor to Horizon Europe places R&I at the forefront of societal and scientific progress notably include:

Provide a well-balanced mix of support for basic research, applied research and innovation.
Increase the budget to €200 billion.
Ring-fence the budget.
Provide more funding opportunities for smaller, collaborative research projects.
Strengthen synergies between funding instruments and programmes.
Enhance excellence across Europe to bridge the R&I divide among countries.
Simplify the programme and its rules for participation.
Ensure responsible openness as the default option for global cooperation.
Improve the communication, dissemination and exploitation of research results.
Enhance R&I stakeholder engagement during all stages of programme planning.

The European University Association (EUA) represents more than 870 universities and national rectors’ conferences in 49 European countries. EUA plays a crucial role in the Bologna Process and in influencing EU policies on higher education, research and innovation. Through continuous interaction with a range of other European and international organisations, EUA ensures that the independent voice of European universities is heard.