Some stakeholder organisations have already reacted to the publication of the High Level Expert Group’s report ‘Align, Act, Accelerate – Research, Technology and Innovation to boost European Competitiveness’ that was presented in Brussels on 16 October 2024.
LERU, the League of European Research Universities, says the report strikes a good balance between an ‘evolution’ from Horizon Europe to a future Framework Programme for R&I and a ‘revolution’. With regard to the report’s proposals for new structures, such as the “Choose Europe” instrument within MSCA, or the setting up of n “Industrial Competitiveness and Technology Council” and a “Societal Challenges Council”, LERU calls for more detail to assess their added value and potential impact.
LERU particularly welcomes the Expert Group’s explicit support for the ERC and the EIC, and the emphasis on the principle of excellence as well as the call for a more open, less prescriptive programme. The association also welcomes the report’s call for a ring-fenced FP10 budget of € 220 billion, as well as the need to fund societal challenges, with a more central role for Social Sciences and Humanities.
CESAER, the association of universities of science and technology, welcomes the Heitor group’s bold vision for transforming European research and innovation, emphasising the urgency for swift implementation to boost competitiveness and secure Europe’s leadership in science and technology. Amongst other aspects, CESAER welcomes the report’s two overarching messages: the need for an ambitious, transformative approach to European research and innovation, and the immense urgency to act. The association is also in favour of the report’s recommendation to establish an experimental unit for fast-tracking transformative technologies; of setting up the proposed European Industrial and Technological Competitiveness Council; of strengthening existing EU instruments that have already proven their value; of the “Choose Europe” initiative; the call to fund all excellent proposals through combined sources at EU and national levels, including by leveraging the Seal of Excellence approach, towards achieving the 3% GDP target.
YERUN, the Young European Research Universities Network, welcomes what it sees as the HLG’s “clear call for evolution rather than revolution”, and the proposed similar pillar structure for FP 10 on 4 interconnected spheres, along with a substantially increased budget. Among the other proposals of the report welcomed by YERUN are the move towards open, non-prescriptive calls; the whole-of-government approach, advocating for stronger connections between R&I policies and the broader EU strategic agenda; the need to rethink certain instruments that have demonstrated limited added value, such as the EIT; the recommendation to find ways to ensure that all proposals evaluated as excellent receive funding (Seal of Excellence); the prominence given to the ERC and MSCA, as well as the EIC, in the report; the proposed improvements in synergies; the recommendation to give the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) a more prominent role in addressing societal challenges; efforts to tackle brain drain; recognition of the critical role that universities and university alliances play in fostering strong, inclusive R&I ecosystems across Europe; the call for radical simplification of Horizon Europe’s procedures; alignment of Assessment with the principles of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA); recommendations to reform Missions in FP10 by focusing on their R&I dimension exclusively; the recommendations on Generative AI (GenAI) calling for responsible experimentation and appropriate safeguards in its use within the the FP; the new paradigm to promote a more inclusive European R&I ecosystem, by shifting from widening participation of the “Advancing Europe” approach (calling for more detail on how this can be implemented in practice). YERUN favours a nuanced approach to dual-use research and welcomes the recommendation that dual-use should not require additional contractual conditions, ensuring a more flexible and innovation-friendly environment.
EARTO, the umbrella organisation of Europe’s leading Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) for applied research, says the report would provide timely recommendations on strengthening Europe’s competitiveness through Research, Technology and Innovation. As key participants in Horizon Europe, EARTO Members highlight the critical importance of Pillar II of Horizon Europe in fostering a collaborative, cross-border RD&I ecosystem that drives technological advancements and solutions for Europe’s major challenges. EARTO stresses that Pillar II directly supports Europe’s capacity to compete globally, offering tangible and impactful innovation that contributes to industrial leadership and societal benefit. As such, Pillar II of Horizon Europe should continue to receive substantial funding in the next FP10 and remain the key Pillar of FP10.
https://www.leru.org/files/LERU-reaction-to-Heitor-report_annex-to-press-release.pdf
https://www.cesaer.org/news/time-to-align-act-and-accelerate-1805