Wednesday 16 September 2026

"Research and innovation are not one priority among many: they are what makes many of Europe’s other strategic priorities achievable. If Europe wants more from research, it must also be prepared to invest more in it.”  

Trinity College Dublin provost Dr Linda Doyle, in her role as chair of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), has urged Europe to invest more in research and innovation. 

This call comes as negotiations on the EU’s 2028-2034 budget enter a decisive phase.  

Strengthen competitiveness

In a statement issued by LERU, she said: “Europe is asking more and more from research and innovation – to strengthen competitiveness, deliver technological leadership, improve health, address climate change and reinforce Europe’s security and resilience. But this cannot continue without a commensurate increase in investment. Research and innovation are not one priority among many: they are what makes many of Europe’s other strategic priorities achievable. If Europe wants more from research, it must also be prepared to invest more in it.” 

In a joint statement with six other leading European research organisations ahead of an event, 'Investing in What Makes Europe Strong: Research and Innovation in the Next EU Budget', the organisations call for at least €200bn for Horizon Europe. They stress that Europe’s ambitions for competitiveness, prosperity, resilience and security cannot be achieved without sustained investment in the knowledge, talent and technologies on which these ambitions ultimately depend. 

The European commission has proposed €175bn, while the European Parliament has called for €200bn. Against a backdrop of inflation, rising research costs and intensifying global competition, the organisations consider €175bn insufficient to match Europe’s ambitions and urge member states and the European Parliament to secure at least €200bn in the final agreement. 

Beyond the overall budget, the organisations call for: 

• A stable, predictable and ring-fenced Horizon Europe budget, providing the long-term certainty required by researchers, institutions and innovative businesses; 
• Balanced investment across the full research and innovation continuum, from frontier research and research talent to collaborative research and breakthrough innovation; 
• Agreement in time for Horizon Europe to launch on 1 January 2028, avoiding disruption and uncertainty for Europe’s research and innovation ecosystem; 
• Stronger investment at both European and national level, with Member States progressing towards at least 3% of GDP for R&D by 2030.