During her visit to Berlin’s Technical University (Technische Universität) on Monday 19 February, Iliana Ivanova, the European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, stressed the importance of investment in research and development (R&D) and in the quality of education for Europe’s future prosperity.
She pointed out that in the face of various crises, Europe has shown remarkable resilience, thanks in part to its past R&D policies, such as the rapid contribution of solutions like the Covid-19 vaccine.
Ms Ivanova highlighted the key role of innovation in tackling long-term challenges such as the climate and digital transition, and demographic change.
She stressed that Europe must remain competitive in a rapidly changing global economy, where traditional business models are being overtaken by digital transitions and the demands of a net-zero emissions economy.
The Commissioner also expressed concern about the current level of R&D investment in Europe. In 2022, the EU devoted only 2.23% of its GDP to R&D, a figure lower than the previous year (2.27%) and well below its target of 3%. In comparison, the United States recorded a share of 3.5%, Japan 3.3%, China 2.4% and South Korea 4.5%.
What’s more, European R&D growth has been weak, at just 0.5% for 2023, compared with 2.5% in the United States and 1.9% in Japan.
To reverse this trend, Ms Ivanova stressed the importance of European research and innovation policies and called for better general framework conditions and structural reforms.
The Horizon Europe programme, with a budget of almost €100 billion over 7 years, is a pillar of this strategy. This programme supports fundamental research, engages academic and industrial partners in collaborative research and stimulates innovation through the European Innovation Council.
The evaluation of the previous programme, Horizon 2020, showed that every euro invested would yield 5 euros in benefits by 2040, underlining the effectiveness of these investments.
Education is also seen as a key driver of competitiveness. In this way, the Erasmus+ programme not only improves employability, but also promotes unity and understanding within Europe, according to the Commissioner.
Finally, Ms Ivanova also spoke about the European Universities Initiative, which promotes cooperation across national and disciplinary boundaries. This initiative, which involves four Berlin universities whose students and presidents were present during his visit - the Technische Universität, the Freie Universität, the Humboldt University and the Hertie School - aims to strengthen Europe’s capacity for innovation and competitive advantage. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)