YERUN asks for a reinforced and higher dedication of the future EU finances to Research and Innovation (R&I) to build a larger, more flexible and inclusive Framework Programme 9 (FP9).

Following European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s demands to ensure “budgets are not bookkeeping exercises but priorities and ambitions”, YERUN asks for European investments in research and innovation that match ambitious objectives. We need to collectively foster the European identity among European citizens. We also need to collectively tackle global challenges and ensure that European citizens are engaged with the research agenda so that they optimally benefit from the investments made.

YERUN asks for a reinforced and higher dedication of the future EU finances to Research and Innovation (R&I) to build a larger, more flexible and inclusive Framework Programme 9 (FP9). An R&I programme is needed that prioritises collaboration among EU countries, builds collective expertise, shares resources and creates infrastructures to solve global challenges as well as addresses European missions. Europe also needs to invest in the next generation of researchers and innovators and in strengthening a truly European Research Area. Current investments in R&I (Horizon 2020) provide high added value because they foster European wide competition, increase possibilities for European collaboration, improve quality of research teams and give a common sense of ownership across Europe. Promoting collaboration across countries has a leverage effect. Horizon 2020 facilitates the creation of a mobile knowledge workforce across countries, which gives better career perspectives and stronger employment prospects for young researchers. Horizon 2020 also creates a European pool of researchers who share a general understanding of common values and systems, and the cultivation of young research talent ready and able to tackle whatever global challenges the next generations are likely to face. This helps create a true European identity and contributes to the European Research Area. European (and national) investments in research and innovation need to be reinforced to provide our citizens, scientists and innovators with optimal tools to solve European and global challenges, and to achieve wellbeing at individual and collective level.