Position on the proposed EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation 2028–2034

With the following position paper, the Alliance presents initial recommendations to inform the negotiation process.

1. Increase and Safeguard Europe’s R&I Investment through FP10

The proposed budget for FP10 to the amount of € 175 billion in current prices is a welcome step. Particularly in times of global challenges, it is essential to reinforce Europe’s commitment to excellent research and innovation as drivers of competitiveness. Nevertheless, the proposal falls short of what is needed to achieve Europe’s R&I ambitions, including in light of inflation. The Draghi report proposed a budget of € 200 billion to address the innovation deficit of the EU – a recommendation supported by the Alliance and the wider R&I stakeholder community. Without a substantially higher budget for R&I, Europe will not be able to accomplish the goal of being globally competitive, nor fully realize its growth agenda for prosperity and resilience. It is also important to understand that, apart from grants, the funding mechanisms of the proposed European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) are mostly not accessible to R&I organizations.

The Alliance recommends the following:

• Increase the budget for FP10 to € 200 billion.
• Safeguard the budget for FP10 during negotiations and implementation from 2028 onwards.

2. Balance top-down priorities with bottom-up discovery in FP10

The Alliance welcomes the strategic focus on the entire innovation pipeline in FP10 and the ECF – from fundamental and applied research to scale-up, industrial deployment and manufacturing. At the same time, both FP10 and ECF must benefit from a better balance between top-down steer and flexible, bottom-up approaches, combining strategic priorities and ample room for discovery, also in a collaborative manner. The approach is decisive to maintaining one of the key assets of EU-funded R&I: its highly competitive nature is secured through science-driven strategic priority-setting and excellence-based evaluation – this must always be preserved. In this regard, the autonomy of the European Innovation Council (EIC) and European Research Council (ERC) is crucial, as well as sufficient support for high-end research and technology infrastructures in the European Research Area.

European collaborative research remains pivotal in this context by fostering transnational knowledge exchange, resource pooling and inclusive cooperation across institutions, disciplines, sectors and borders. European public-private partnerships also play a critical role by fostering effective research-industrial collaboration and accelerating the translation of innovation into market-ready solutions.

Excellence must remain the main award criterion for R&I investment, as it underpins Europe’s global scientific and technological leadership, attracts top talent and strengthens its position as a leading destination for cutting-edge R&I.

The Alliance recommends the following:

• Implement a balanced approach across the entire R&I pipeline combining top-down priorities and bottom-up discovery.
• Always keep R&I excellence as a specific objective of FP10.

3. Strengthen Governance of FP10 through Transparency and Involvement of Europe’s R&I Community

The interplay between FP10 and ECF lacks clearness in the current proposal. This applies particularly to governance, and to the implementation of ECF priorities through the FP10 financial envelope. Furthermore, the proposal does not outline clear pathways for the involvement of the R&I community in ensuring excellence and science-driven priority-setting. Given the close integration of both programs, these fundamental aspects of decision-making and implementation need to be addressed in more detail to ensure that they are effective and efficient. Without a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities, the FP10 and ECF governance risks unnecessary redundancies, complexity and operational inefficiency.

Beyond FP10 and the ECF, there is a need for stronger synergies between EU programs and between EU and national investment to reduce bureaucracy and prioritize EU added value. In this vein, the Alliance welcomes simplification efforts that focus on applicants’ needs and avoid exposing them to legal and other risks.

The Alliance recommends the following:

• Define clear roles and responsibilities at the interface between FP10 and the ECF.
• Establish robust consultation mechanisms that systematically involve the R&I community.

4. Sustain European commitment to talent and mobility

Talent is one of the main competitive advantages of the EU. Given the growing global competition for R&I talent, the EU must respond through programs such as FP10 and Erasmus+ aimed at ensuring optimal framework conditions. This includes talent development and mobility within the EU, attraction of talent from outside the EU, as well as secure and fair international mobility of talents.

Strengthening FP10 should go hand in hand with a significant increase of the Erasmus+ budget to up to € 60 billion. This is essential to successfully reach EU targets – particularly in the area of mobility – and effectively implement key policy initiatives like Europe on the Move and the Union of Skills.

When it comes to international R&I cooperation and talent mobility in FP10, responsibly balancing openness and security should be a core principle. This requires a careful calibration of targeted measures with core principles such as academic freedom and excellence. Third-country participation in FP10 must continue to receive support in the future, and it requires strategic decision-making and consistent rules of association.

The Alliance recommends the following:

• Increase the budget for Erasmus+ to up to € 60 billion while safeguarding the FP10 budget.
• Balance openness and security as a core principle of FP10.

Conclusion

The success of FP10 and ECF – and, thus, of boosting the EU’s competitiveness and resilience–depends on a well-funded, -balanced and -governed framework that unites strategic economic, societal and political priorities with R&I ambition. The German Alliance of Science Organisations is ready to engage in shaping a bold vision for Europe’s leadership in science and technology for decades to come.

The Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany is an association of the most important German research organisations. It regularly publishes statements on central issues of research policy. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a member of the Alliance and has taken the chair for 2025. Further Members of the Alliance are the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the German Rectors‘ Conference (HRK), the Leibniz Association, the Max Planck Society, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and the German Science and Humanities Council (WR).

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