On 19 September 2024, the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with the support from the Horizon Europe programme, launched the Research and Innovation Careers Observatory (ReICO). This initiative will provide reliable data on research and innovation careers in EU and OECD countries. Providing researchers and innovators with attractive and sustainable careers is key to boosting European competitiveness and retaining talent. A better understanding of career paths is key in designing policies, improving their careers, while bringing economic benefits to the EU economy. The signing ceremony for the official start of the project took place in Brussels at the conference “European Research Area: Fostering Greater Integration. Advancing Competitiveness”.
ReICO will build on the expertise of the OECD, delivering data and insights that enable policy makers to develop evidence-based policies to strengthen research careers. This will be of key importance in areas such as researchers’ precarity, skills, or mobility. The observatory will also benefit the wider research and innovation community, including research organisations and individuals, allowing informed choices. The first set of data is expected in the first half of 2025, and it will be updated on an annual basis.