#Patent applications to the European Patent Office passed 200,000 for the first time in 2025, with the fastest growth coming from China and South Korea. The trend reflects shifting momentum in strategic technology fields such as #AI and #batteries:

Aviation is one of the sectors expected to feature in the EU’s future “moonshot” initiatives under the next Framework Programme. The Clean Aviation partnership hopes its successor could help steer investment from research to deployment:

The European Commission is preparing a €120 million pilot scheme to fast-track funding for disruptive #defence #innovation, with grants expected to reach start-ups within four months. The Agile instrument targets technologies such as AI, quantum and drones:

After filing for liquidation, EIT Manufacturing is exploring the creation of a new legal entity to continue supporting its innovation projects across Europe. Whether that happens now depends on backing from the EIT and policymakers in Brussels. More: buff.ly/vj5W8bk

Cyprus is building one of its largest biomedical research efforts to date through the CYPROME project. With data from over 12,000 volunteers, researchers are identifying population-specific genetic variants to support more personalised healthcare and prevention: sciencebusiness.net/news/mapping...

At today’s UDICE European Forum, discussions focused on how research-intensive universities contribute to Europe’s scientific and technological sovereignty, from deep tech start-ups to AI talent development and stronger links between research, industry and policy.

Research organisations warn a planned Horizon Europe budget reshuffle could damage MSCA calls now, even if balances with associated countries are corrected later in the programme: sciencebusiness.net/news/horizon...

The Czech Academy of Sciences is launching a joint-stock company to support spin-outs and bring private investment into technologies emerging from its institutes. The aim is to help more companies grow directly out of public research. 🔍https://tinyurl.com/mr3snukr

CubaseBio has academic roots in both Chicago and Stockholm, but chose Sweden to build the company, pointing to the role of local ecosystems, IP frameworks and EIC support in shaping deep tech spin-outs: sciencebusiness.net/news/r-d-fun...

Central and eastern Europe has secured just 6% of EIC Accelerator grants so far, pointing to a sharper east-west divide as the EU expands the EIC’s role: sciencebusiness.net/news/r-d-fun...

Central and eastern Europe has secured just 6% of EIC Accelerator grants so far, highlighting a sharper east-west divide as the EU prepares to expand the programme’s role in supporting start-ups. Read more: sciencebusiness.net/news/r-d-fun...

A €40B clean #tech fund is central to the EU’s #climate strategy, but auditors warn delays, project failures and weak strategic planning are limiting its impact just as its future extension is being discussed: sciencebusiness.net/news/r-d-fun...

Smart specialisation has shaped how regions set R&I priorities across Europe for over a decade. Now, as the next EU budget takes shape, its role is becoming less clear:

Parliament backs the ERC’s independence, but attention is turning to funding, with doubts that even a €31.5B budget will be enough to match growing demand and new schemes:

The Innovation Act was meant to come out this week. It didn’t. Something is still being worked out in Brussels:

Europe wants to cut fragmentation with a single company regime. The proposed “EU Inc.” could change how start-ups scale across the EU, but questions are already emerging. Read more:

EU–India tech cooperation is deepening, and Horizon Europe could soon be part of it. Association would ease collaboration, even as differences remain, especially on AI. Read more: buff.ly/4Onac7j

If associated countries fund Horizon Europe, should they have a say in how it’s spent? Türkiye pushes back on plans to redirect funds to a new Scale Up Europe Fund. Read more: sciencebusiness.net/news/horizon...

If tuberculosis is preventable and curable, why is progress still so slow? From late-stage trials to access, the bottleneck is clear. EDCTP3 is trying to move more solutions from the pipeline to patients. 🔍https://tinyurl.com/54ppc68b @globalhealthedctp3.bsky.social

In this week’s Funding Radar, new calls supporting clean tech manufacturing, advanced materials and digital innovation, with opportunities for researchers, SMEs and start-ups:

How independent should the European Innovation Council be? MEPs want to give the EIC more autonomy in setting its agenda, pushing back against Commission plans for closer control:

A first look at Horizon Europe’s next update. Leaked documents reveal new horizontal calls and early steps towards the post-2027 programme. 🔍

What would a more bottom-up Horizon Europe look like? In this Q&A, rapporteur Christian Ehler outlines plans for expert-led governance and less Commission control. ➡️More:

Who will shape Europe’s scientific and technological sovereignty? On 26 March in Brussels, Udice brings together policymakers, researchers, and universities to discuss open strategic autonomy and the role of research and talent. More: buff.ly/8AIi9HT

Who should set the priorities for Europe’s research funding? MEPs push for expert-driven Horizon Europe, calling for stronger ERC and EIC autonomy and less Commission control. More: buff.ly/RmZZjJS

709 proposals. 20 grants. The first EIC Advanced Innovation Challenge call shows just how strong demand is for ARPA-style innovation funding in Europe, with a success rate likely to fall to 2.8%:

What happens when a regional war reaches global university networks? European universities are closing campuses in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi and moving courses online as conflict spreads across the Persian Gulf.

In 2020, Amazon spent more on R&D than the entire German state. It’s a striking symbol of a broader shift: research in the rich world is increasingly funded by corporations rather than governments. But what if that shift has consequences? sciencebusiness.net/news/eu-budg...

What if research careers in Europe came with a common contract? The Commission is considering voluntary model employment contracts for researchers as part of the upcoming ERA Act, aiming to improve mobility and bring more stability to academic careers.

When geopolitics collide with research collaboration, who decides how Europe responds? The Commission wants stronger EU coordination on science diplomacy. But experts warn consensus rules could still slow action in a crisis: sciencebusiness.net/news/univers...

What if you could predict which technologies will win and which will fail years before the market decides? Rotterdam start-up GetFocus believes the answer lies in global patent data. Read more:

Can Europe stay competitive if innovation is defined only by technology and growth? At the Human Values and Grand Challenges conference hosted by Aalborg University during Denmark’s EUCO Presidency, experts discussed why human values must play a bigger role in Europe’s R&I agenda: buff.ly/H1JRlO0

Many research institutes in central and eastern Europe now have strong #HR strategies on paper. But a new report suggests the real challenge begins after that. Policies on recruitment, leadership and diversity often fail to reach everyday practice inside labs and departments:

Czechia is rethinking how science fits into its economy. A new strategy puts #research, #innovation, start-ups and commercialisation under a more centralised system, with the aim of turning R&D into a driver of long-term growth. 🔍 sciencebusiness.net/news/czechia...

Since 2021, Horizon Europe has funded 55 gender equality projects worth €79M. Most were not launched through top-down calls but through bottom-up programmes such as the ERC and MSCA:

Europe’s leadership in #AI and advanced technologies starts with people. On 26 March in Brussels, Udice discuss how #research-intensive universities strengthen Europe’s #talent base and connect #education, research and innovation to support long-term competitiveness. ℹ️ url-shortener.me/GQGZ

Europe will not close its #innovation gap without more private investment, says a new report from the European Investment Bank. Corporate spending on innovation is lagging behind the US, and EU #policy should focus more on mobilising private capital:

Alternative proteins are moving from novelty to everyday food, but the next step is harder. Taste, texture and cost still stand in the way of mass adoption. The Plantomyc project is exploring hybrid meat alternatives: sciencebusiness.net/news/redefin... Supported by EIT Food 🔍

Canadian firm Eavor has brought a pioneering “closed loop” geothermal plant online in Bavaria. But the bigger challenge was financing it. The project required stitching together more than €90M in EU grants, loans and other funding sources:

A €30M project backed by Horizon Europe is helping rescue part of Croatia’s historic Brodarski Institute. The former Yugoslav #maritime #research giant is being liquidated, but a new centre of excellence in maritime #robotics aims to preserve key facilities and expertise:

A new viewpoint argues that the main problem with the EU’s Framework Programmes is governance, not ambition. Political negotiations often dilute the original design of Horizon Europe, making it more complex and harder to implement: buff.ly/23f8CDU

💡 Young researchers (21–35) in Europe — ready to turn your talent ON? Applications for EU TalentOn 2026 are now open. Apply by 30 April 👉https://www.eutalentonbrest2026.eu/ #EUTalentOn #HorizonEurope #ChooseEurope

A new viewpoint argues that the problem with the EU’s Framework Programmes is not ambition, but governance. Political negotiations often dilute the original design of Horizon Europe, making the programme more complex and less flexible:

Europe’s reluctance to take risks is holding back innovation, says former ASML CEO Peter Wennink. He argues that companies like ASML only succeeded thanks to early government risk capital and warns that current state aid rules make that kind of support harder today:

A German expert panel says the European Innovation Council cannot deliver breakthrough #innovation while it remains embedded in the European Commission. Until it gains independence, the report suggests member states consider creating their own ARPA-style innovation agencies:

The Commission is stepping up efforts to involve Palestinian researchers in Horizon Europe. A new initiative aims to connect researchers from Gaza with European partners and help rebuild research capacity after years of declining participation:

Cutting the mandate of the European Research Council president from four years to two may not be a red line after all. A Commission adviser says the idea in the next Horizon Europe is open to change:

#Biodiversity funding under Horizon Europe’s Cluster 6 has dropped by 61 per cent. The Commission plans a new call. Will it close the gap? More:

€30M brain health challenge for innovators. Denmark’s BioInnovation Institute seeks projects ready to spin out therapies. Full details:

Would US scientists treat identical projects differently depending on the partner country? A new study suggests yes, with stricter conditions for China than Germany. Full story: buff.ly/plNMLYF