9 November 2026 | EuroTech Universities Alliance has joined 28 other European organisations in calling on European leaders to commit at least €200 billion to Horizon Europe 2028-2034. Through the joint statement “Fund Research, Development and Innovation. Fund the Future”, the organisations are urging the EU to provide ambitious, protected and predictable funding for research and innovation.
As negotiations on the European Union’s next seven-year budget intensify, the decisions made today will influence Europe’s ability to develop the technologies, industries and solutions needed for tomorrow.
From cleaner industry and energy security to better healthcare and technological sovereignty, research and innovation underpin Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and wider societal ambitions. Discussions at the recent EuroTech Summit 2026, bringing together researchers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and policymakers, highlighted the importance of investing in these capabilities while upholding strong European values.
A collective call for €200 billion
The joint statement calls for at least €200 billion for Horizon Europe 2028-2034, with funding that is protected and predictable over the long term.
EU funding plays a vital role in bringing together researchers, universities, research organisations and industry across national borders. By pooling expertise and resources, Horizon Europe enables ambitious projects and collaborations that individual countries could not achieve alone, while complementing national investments.
The economic case is equally significant. According to the European Commission estimate cited in the joint statement, every €1 invested through Horizon Europe is projected to generate up to €11 in additional GDP by 2045.
Priorities for Europe’s technological future
Turning Europe’s scientific strengths into technological breakthroughs and industrial applications requires action across several interconnected areas:
- Sustaining scientific excellence and talent: Maintaining Europe’s world-class research base, attracting and retaining global talent, and training the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators.
- Pioneering emerging technologies: Driving breakthroughs across disciplines, from AI and robotics to advanced materials, semiconductors, photonics, quantum technologies, energy systems and biotechnology, and shaping tomorrow’s technological frontiers rather than merely seeking to catch-up on existing ones.
- Strengthening technological competitiveness and resilience: Prioritising, developing and scaling strategic technologies and competitive deep-tech companies, reducing critical dependencies while building technological strengths on which others rely, strengthening Europe’s position as a global technology leader.
- Delivering on societal ambitions: Advancing solutions for climate neutrality, energy security, better healthcare and sustainable industry, turning technological progress into tangible benefits for society.
- Connecting innovation ecosystems at European scale: Pooling expertise, talent and Research & Technology infrastructure across borders to build critical mass, amplify national investment and achieve what no country can do alone.
Working together to shape Europe’s future
The priorities at hand also featured in EuroTech’s session at the Falling Walls Science Summit 2026 on 8 November, highlighting the importance of bringing Europe together as one united science and scale-up nation.
They are equally central to EuroTech Strategy 2030. Through collaboration across leading technical universities, the Alliance seeks to connect research and innovation ecosystems, bring scientific expertise into European policymaking and strengthen cooperation across borders.
Add your voice to the call
The joint statement is initiated with: the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG), ALLEA, BusinessEurope, CESAER, Coimbra Group, EARTO, EASN, EASSH, ECMI, EERA, European Geosciences Union (EGU), European Mathematical Society (EMS), European Physical Society (EPS), EPSO, European University Association (EUA), EUCASS, EU-LIFE, Eurodoc, The Guild, ICORSA, Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE), LERU, Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), Orgalim, Research Matters, Science Europe, Young Academy of Europe (YAE) and YERUN.
Researchers, academics, innovators, industry representatives and citizens are invited to support the initiative and add their voices to the call on European leaders.