Brussels, 19 September 2024
Dear Minister Hankó,
Director Sheehan,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the second day of the ERA Conference, both here and online. The objective of creating a European Research Area dates back to the turn of the millennium. The idea was to make Europe a space where researchers, knowledge and technologies move freely.
This would advance science, but also benefit the economy and society. Enhancing our scientific and technological base is critical for economic development and competitiveness, creating jobs and addressing common challenges.
This required close cooperation with the Member States to align policies, regulatory frameworks and funding programmes, and to open access to top research infrastructures.
With two million researchers in Europe today, we have a responsibility to create an environment that fosters their careers, provides the best conditions for their work and ensures their results benefit the citizens.
However, achieving a true European Research Area is no easy feat. We are making good progress, but much more remains to be done.
In 2020, we renewed our efforts with a new policy framework through the Pact for Research and Innovation and the ERA Policy Agenda, along with new governance and monitoring systems. We needed to reflect the rapidly evolving research and innovation landscape and respond to new needs, such as the green and digital transitions.
We identified four priorities for action:
- Investments and reforms;
- Improving access to excellence;
- Translating research and innovation results into the economy; and
- Deepening the ERA.
What have we achieved?
On investments and reforms, we have worked closely with the Member States, supporting reforms through instruments such as the Cohesion Funds, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the New Innovation Agenda. We also facilitated exchanges of experience through the Policy Support Facility.
Improving access to excellence remains a priority. Excellence exists across Europe, but we need to better tap into this potential. The European Research Area must nurture talent everywhere, supporting interdisciplinary collaboration and mobility across sectors and countries.
Horizon Europe has contributed through its Widening programme, COST actions and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions as well as collaborative projects, but administrative and legal barriers to full mobility persist.
We must do more to support scientists across Europe, as outlined in the Council Recommendation on Research Careers. This includes attractive working conditions, access to world-class infrastructures and recognising the contribution of researchers through improved assessment practices. Here, I am pleased to note that over 700 organisations have already signed the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment.
I am also thrilled that in a few moments, we will launch the new Research and Innovation Careers Observatory in collaboration with the OECD. It will gather data to inform future policies and help us address persisting obstacles.
We have also come a long way in promoting the free flow of knowledge. I am proud of our progress with the European Open Science Cloud, helping researchers collaborate across borders and disciplines through seamless access to quality data and digital services. Soon, we will launch the European Open Science Cloud EU Node, offering a full spectrum of scientific tools across Europe and addressing the need for better data sharing.
Turning research and innovation into economic outcomes is another area where we have made headway, although challenges remain. The European Innovation Council supports deep-tech innovators, but venture capital in Europe, particularly for scaling up, still trails the United States.
In addition, we have also adopted Codes of Practice on intellectual asset management and standardisation, but more must be done to maximise economic returns from our investments, including developing public markets for innovations.
Finally, let’s talk about funding. Reforming research and innovation systems requires strong political commitment and adequate financial resources. We must continue working towards the 3% GDP target for R&D investment, with two thirds from the private sector. At 2.2%, we are still short of this target and lagging behind international competitors. We must address the disparities in performance both across and within Member States.
To make meaningful progress, we must act in a coordinated way, leveraging synergies across Europe.
We will soon present a Communication assessing progress with the ERA since 2020 and identifying future action. I encourage you to contribute through the ongoing call for evidence, open until the end of September. Your input is crucial for targeting our joint efforts where they are needed most.
Thank you for your commitment to building the European Research Area.
Source – EU Commission