Reflections on the STOA Conference and the Science|Business Annual Summit

Blogpost by Meri Georgievska-van de Laar, edited by Jovana Paredes.

The Competitiveness Compass and the dilemmas of R&I 

A crosscutting theme across both events was the Competitiveness Compass, the strategic agenda for the European Commission for the next five years. For the first time in history, R&I has been placed at the heart of the European economy, recognized as the cornerstone of the EU’s competitiveness and growth. However, this shift also raises critical dilemmas. While the Compass emphasizes the need for R&I in addressing EU’s strategic priorities and challenges, it risks sidelining scientific freedom and curiosity-driven research. This tension between policy-driven R&I investments and the need for independent, excellence-driven research was a recurring topic of debate. Inevitably, the future of the European Framework program for research and innovation was in the focus of all discussions, with the key question of whether we will have a standalone, framework program for R&I, as it has been for the past 40 years, or the R&I investments will be part of a bigger financial framework, the EU competitiveness fund, introduced by the compass.

STOA Conference: Defending Scientific Freedom

At the STOA Conference, high-level representatives from the EU’s R&I community, including European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, the new Commissioner for R&I Ekaterina Zaharieva, and MEPs Christian Ehler, Lina Gálvez, and Eszter Lakos, EC Director General for R&I Marc Lemaître, passionately defended the importance of scientific freedom. President Metsola emphasized that there is no competitiveness without freedom, adding that top-down, policy-driven research limits academic freedom. Moreover, she warned that by cutting on financing for science, we cut on everything.

The R&I Commissioner Zaharieva outlined her vision for the future, including a legal initiative on the freedom of academic research as part of an ERA Act proposal, early 2026. Milena Fuchs, a member of the ERC Scientific Council, pledged to safeguard the ERC’s independence and increase its budget, because the ERC has been the backbone of EU’s prosperity and competitiveness.

MEP Christian Ehler, who is also chair of the STOA panel, and rapporteur on FP10 in the European Parliament, reassured the academic community that Horizon Europe’s successor, FP10, will remain a standalone program, not absorbed by the EU’s competitiveness fund.

Science|Business Summit: R&I as a Driver of Europe’s Future

The Science|Business annual conference, titled “New Mandate, New Agenda: Will the EU Live Up to Its Promises on R&I?” delved into the future of EU R&I and its role in boosting competitiveness. Two key messages emerged consistently across panels and workshops: 

1. Science and R&I must transcend political agendas. They are the bedrock to our European values, our wellbeing, and our democratic way of living, and the gateway to our future. Funding R&I through a central competitiveness fund will put science and R&I only at the service of the competitiveness policy, and will serve a short-term political agenda, but will not help us build strong and resilient Europe on long run, and will not prepare our economies, societies, nature and citizens for the future. 

2. Europe needs a standalone R&I investment program (that resists political influences and ensures long-term stability and) supports both excellence-driven and curiosity-led research and innovation, and, challenges based, policy driven research.

While the European Commission’s plans remain unclear, the European Parliament has firmly supported the independence of the EU’s R&I framework program, including the ERC and EIC. MEP Ehler reiterated that FP10 will have its own budget line in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

Insights from EUR’s Annelien Bredenoord

Annelien Bredenoord, President of the EUR Executive Board, and member of the High-Level Expert Group on the Future of Horizon Europe, took an active role in the opening plenary of the conference. She emphasized the need for balanced R&I investments, in both policy-driven and curiosity-driven research: “We need top-down research to address pressing challenges and boost competitiveness, as well as blue-sky, curiosity-driven research to prepare us for the future.”

Prof. Bredenoord highlighted three key areas where Europe excels and should continue to invest: 

1. The European Way of Life: Rooted in democratic values, inclusiveness, and wellbeing, Europe is a magnet for talent. However, retaining that talent remains a challenge. She referenced the Heitor Report and its recommendation for initiatives like the MSCA’s Choose Europe instrument, alongside investments in excellence through the ERC and EIC. 
2. Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH): European SSH research is a global leader, producing more than half of the world’s top publications. Investing in SSH is crucial not only for maintaining independence but also as a resource for shaping Europe’s societal values. 
3. Cross-Border and Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Solving complex global challenges requires international and transdisciplinary cooperation.

Bredenoord also stressed the importance of societal competitiveness as the foundation of industrial competitiveness. She echoed MEP Ehler’s call for a more positive attitude toward technology and innovation while emphasizing the need for social innovation. “Technical and social innovation go hand in hand,” she noted.

Bridging the Skills Gap and Building Talent

The skills of the future were also in the focus of the Science|Business conference. Discussions highlighted the urgent need for tech talent and tech leaders with a growth mindset, entrepreneurial and leadership skills, business acumen and critical thinking abilities. Transdisciplinary education, including SSH, was identified as critical for breeding such talent. 

One standout session focused on the ATTRACT Academy, where students shared how the program bridged the gap between academic learning and real-world applications. Lucienne de Waal, a participant, remarked, “I always thought that what I learn in university cannot be applied to the real world—ATTRACT bridged that gap!”

EUR Prof. René Repasi, an MEP, emphasized that innovation cannot be trained but must be ignited through knowledge and innovation ecosystems. He called for scaling up initiatives like ATTRACT across Europe. Similarly, Prof. Silvia Lenaerts, Rector of TU/e emphasized the need of breaking down the silos in which universities operate - universities have to open up and collaborate both with society, industry but also amongst each other. She also referred to the importance of transdisciplinarity, and the role of social sciences to breed European innovation mindset and break the tech and risk adversity culture in Europe.

A Vibrant R&I Community

Beyond the thought-provoking discussions, the energy and enthusiasm of the Brussels R&I community were truly inspiring. It was a pleasure to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new colleagues from across Europe. These events reaffirmed the critical role of collaboration, innovation, and shared commitment to shaping a brighter future for European R&I.