Brussels warns of ‘critical investment gap’ on research

The European Commission has claimed that Europe’s research and innovation (R&I) sector is “underutilised” and faces funding issues and regional divides.

A “persistent” R&I divide across Europe and a lack of long-term planning for research means that European Union targets for research to comprise 3 per cent of gross domestic product are “still far from being achieved”, the commission’s latest Science, Research and Innovation (R&I) Performance report warns.

The report says: “Investing in R&I means investing in Europe’s ability to handle the difficulties of the 21st century. It is crucial for boosting Europe’s long-term competitiveness and improving living standards. And its role in supporting productivity growth and transition towards a sustainable economy will further increase with population ageing and the consequent shrinking of the labour force.”

While it describes northern and western Europe as being home to “innovation leaders”, it says “moderate and emerging innovators” are mostly situated in southern and eastern Europe.

It warns that R&I is fragmented along national lines throughout Europe, “restricting the EU’s ability to achieve global leadership”. Structural reforms in member states’ national R&I systems are therefore “essential”, the report says, to unleash research potential across the continent.

This feeds into a “critical investment gap”, the commission paper says, noting that the annual R&D budget of Amazon is more than four times that of the annual budget for the EU’s framework programme for research and innovation.

But European funding initiatives – including the framework programme and the European structural and investment funds dedicated to supporting territory development – “have a strong potential for narrowing this divide”, it says.

Such frameworks are “crucial” for establishing “synergies of the kind that could not be created by individual countries acting alone”.

“[That support] enables the development of more ambitious projects, fosters transnational collaborations, addresses EU-wide challenges, reduces redundant efforts, allows for EU-wide competition and sets unified standards,” it outlines.

Iliana Ivanova, European commissioner for innovation, research, culture, education and youth, said the report highlighted the need to “intensify” efforts to meet the 3 per cent target.

“Boosting Europe’s scientific and technological capacities and complementary action at the EU, national and regional levels are essential for both current and long-term resilience and competitiveness,” she said.

The paper echoes previous warnings that the EU research funding lacks long-term stability, because budgets can often face cuts when emergencies arise and money is shifted to address more immediate needs. “As we are entering an era of polycrisis or permacrisis, a balanced approach is warranted to ensure that policies address immediate needs without compromising long-term aspirations,” it says.

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation