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BRUSSELS – Europe must become the best place in the world for scientific research, said European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva in a statement to the European Parliament in Brussels.
“We aim for Europe to be a leading place for researchers from around the world. If we want the best minds to choose Europe, we must make it easier for them to come and live here,” she added. Zaharieva announced that the European Commission is preparing changes to legislation to accelerate the attraction of global scientific talent. According to her, the EU’s goal is to reach a research budget of three percent of GDP by 2030.
“We are making a clear choice – to place research and innovation at the center of our society. Europe chooses science, which is a source of progress and plays a crucial role in our sovereignty and economic security, in our resilience, and in democracy,” Zaharieva said. She noted that the development of quantum technologies and artificial intelligence is directly related to the possibilities for protecting society and European values. “We need talent to advance in these key areas,” the Commissioner added.
“Global spending on research recently reached 2.5 trillion euros annually. We see examples of science being used for political purposes, academic freedom is being put under pressure. Across the Atlantic, universities, research on vaccines, and in the field of climate have been affected by budget cuts. This is not happening only in the USA; in many other places scientists are being targeted. In conflict zones, schools and universities are not spared. In Ukraine, the war of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has destroyed over 1,400 buildings related to the development of science, 30 percent of the scientific institutions in the country, and this has led to the displacement of 20 percent of Ukrainian scientists,” Zaharieva pointed out.
She announced that the EU will adopt legislation for the freedom of scientific research. According to her, today there are candidates from 194 countries around the world in the EU program “Horizon”.
Last week, the European Research Council (ERC) decided to increase its support for leading scientists from around the world who choose to relocate and work in Europe. The ERC decided to offer additional funding, beyond its standard grants, to support the establishment of scientific laboratories or research teams of foreign scientists in Europe. Funding for this initiative is doubling from one million euros to two million euros. The increase will apply from the ERC Advanced Grant competition, which starts today. (May 22)