Research and innovation: Commission calls for more investment and less fragmentation

On 1 October, the European Commission published the Science, Research and Innovation Performance of the EU 2026 report, highlighting the need to strengthen research and innovation to support European competitiveness. While ranking second worldwide in scientific output, the EU struggles to translate research findings into strategic technologies, products and services. Key challenges include fragmented ecosystems, access to finance and barriers to commercialisation. According to the report, an additional €560 billion in investment would be needed to reach the target of spending 3% of GDP on research and development by 2030.

On the legislative front, the Commission is preparing the European Research Area Act to improve policy coordination and the circulation of knowledge and talent. The proposed European Innovation Act aims to help innovative companies scale up by facilitating access to public procurement and intellectual property-backed finance. These initiatives complement the proposed strengthening of the EU research and innovation budget for 2028 - 2034.