The Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN) welcomes the Warsaw Declaration’s commitment to fostering excellent research, innovation, and collaboration within Europe and beyond. 

The European Union (EU)’s Research and Innovation Framework Programme (FP) is the largest research programme in the world, representing a critical strategic advantage for Europe. At a time when Europe needs to operationalise its ambitions and secure its position as a global leader in innovation and social development, protecting the FP’s independence and funding, is fundamental. The Programme’s unique scale and collaborative nature make it indispensable for fostering impactful research, and it should remain a central pillar of the European Research Area (ERA), as set out in the EU Treaties. 

More concretely, YERUN strongly supports: 

• The continuation of FPs as the main European instrument for fostering collaborative research and innovation (R&I), and its potential to create new cooperation networks and a competitive Europe.  

• Providing a long-term outlook and independence are necessary conditions in FPs for boosting Europe’s competitiveness and to respond to current and future challenges. European researchers work at their best when they are in the driving seat, adhering to the highest scientific standards without political interjections, in a stable, predictable and continuous R&I environment. This is also critical for attracting and retaining the best talent. 

• Securing a robust budget and allocating sufficient resources for bottom-up research, as well as interdisciplinary approaches, to tackle global and societal challenges. In this context, YERUN highlights the key importance of the European Research Council (ERC). The ERC’s autonomy and governance must remain intact. 

• Strengthening synergies, simplifying rules for applicants, and reducing administrative burdens are crucial for the next FP to maximise returns on investments and ensure a holistic approach to R&I funding throughout the entire research continuum. 

Europe’s competitiveness depends on the freedom of research to explore new frontiers. As highlighted by both the Draghi report and the FP10 Expert Group, bottom-up, undirected funding drives innovation more effectively than overly steered approaches. Preserving this openness is essential to maintaining Europe’s leadership in research and innovation. Prof. Dag Rune Olsen, YERUN President and Rector of UiT – The Arctic University of Norway

YERUN stands ready to support the next Framework Programme by maintaining high standards of excellence, impact, and inclusivity, while championing collaborative consortia that bridge regions and sectors and contribute to innovative research agendas. Nevertheless, it is important to recognise that the FP cannot address every challenge in isolation. Achieving Europe’s aspirations in R&I requires embedding the ‘fifth freedom’, allowing cross-border research to thrive on a large scale. Equally crucial is for Member States to step up national R&I spending and cooperation. 

Finally, YERUN welcomes the strong signal given by the Ministers today. It places the Council of the EU, together with the Parliament, as the strong co-legislators of the next framework programme. Their joint ambition needs to remain strong to commit the necessary investments and conditions to keep European research & innovation as the backbone of Europe’s competitiveness, and more importantly, Europe’s sustainable prosperity. 

.

Photocredit: © Website of the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union