The Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the European Commission’s (EC) public consultation on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) post-2027 on European funding for competitiveness.  

In an ever more complex geopolitical landscape, YERUN asserts that a strong political vision recognising research, innovation, and higher education as key pillars for European competitiveness and resilience, is more critical than ever. This position paper highlights key priorities: safeguarding the Framework Programme (FP), its budget and its collaborative nature; emphasising strategic and long-term priority areas while ensuring stable funding and academic freedom; enhancing collaboration between public and private sectors to increase trust and reduce the innovation gap; boosting international cooperation, and improving policy coherence while reducing unnecessary bureaucracy.