Developing an integrated and impact-driven research budget

Against a backdrop of accelerating geopolitical tensions, rapid technological change and intensifying global competition for talent, the European Union is preparing its next research and innovation framework for 2028-2034. The European Commission has proposed to double the budget to 175 billion euro, with the aim of making Horizon Europe larger, simpler and more impactful, and more closely aligned with the new European Competitiveness Fund.  

This policymakers dinner debate will examine what such an ambitious programme should deliver for Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and citizens. How can future investment in research and innovation better support strategic autonomy, industrial leadership and societal trust, while remaining open, collaborative and mission-oriented? 

While Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) already play a substantial role across Horizon Europe, participating in the vast majority of projects, their contribution is often not fully leveraged in terms of impact and integration. As the EU prepares to scale up its investment, the discussion will examine how future programmes, partnerships and missions can move beyond silos and ensure that technological and societal dimensions reinforce one another from design to delivery. 

Building on recent insights and recommendations, including those emerging from the SSH CENTRE project, participants will reflect on how future frameworks can encourage clearer shared objectives, genuinely interdependent collaboration across disciplines, and more robust ways of capturing societal value, including through approaches such as social sustainability indicators and life-cycle assessments. 

This high-level roundtable will provide the opportunity to engage with policymakers, industry representatives, and social partners to identify concrete choices for the 2028-2034 research and innovation framework that can boost innovation, strategic independence and public trust in European research. 

This Dinner Debate directly follows the Policy Insight event “Shaping the next European research and innovation framework”, which will examine how the next research and innovation framework can fully integrate social sciences and humanities in shaping research priorities and innovation pathways. For more information about the preceding event, click here.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock | Natalya Kosarevich