Research & Technology in the EU

Latest news about research and innovation policy in the European Union.

EUR 500m investments for EU breakthrough innovations — 24 June 2021, 22:36 CET

The Commission announced Thursday 69 new innovation investments, the second round of direct equity investment through the European Innovation Council Fund.

The Global Approach to Research and Innovation — 18 May 2021, 17:21 CET

The European Commission adopted on 18 May a Communication on its Global Approach to Research and Innovation, Europe's strategy for international cooperation in a changing world.

New EU legal framework for AI sets standards for trust — 26 April 2021, 23:51 CET

The EU Commission proposed Wednesday a first-ever legal framework on artificial intelligence, with guarantees of safety and fundamental rights while strengthening AI uptake, investment and innovation.

EU funds urgent research into combatting Covid variants — 12 April 2021, 21:54 CET

The EU Commission announced Wednesday it is mobilising EUR 123 million from its new EU research and innovation programme Horizon Europe, for urgent research into coronavirus variants.

EUR 10bn science programme invests in breakthrough innovation — 24 March 2021, 18:40 CET

The European Innovation Council (EIC) launched on Thursday with a budget of over EUR 10 billion (at current prices) for 2021-2027 and a remit to develop and expand breakthrough innovations.

Brussels sets out priorities for EU's EUR 95.5 bn research programme — 16 March 2021, 16:21 CET

The EU Commission adopted Monday the first strategic plan for the next four years of the EU's new research and innovation programme Horizon Europe, worth some EUR 95.5 billion at current prices.

Euro-Parliament greenlights EU's post-Covid recovery fund — 10 March 2021, 18:55 CET

MEPs gave their approval Tuesday to the InvestEU programme, to mobilise public and private investments in support of Europe's post-Covid recovery, and guarantee simplified access to financing

EU prepares for increased threat of Covid variants — 20 February 2021, 01:01 CET

The EU Commission put forward plans Wednesday for a new European bio-defence preparedness plan to pull together available resources to ready the EU against the increased threat of coronavirus variants.

HERA Incubator - Anticipating COVID-19 variants — 17 February 2021, 21:22 CET

The European Commission proposed on 17 February the "HERA Incubator", the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) Incubator to prepare Europe for the increased threat of coronavirus variants.

Lift-off for Europe's biggest ever R&D programme — 04 February 2021, 23:36 CET

The EU's Portuguese presidency launched the ambitious research and innovation programme 'Horizon Europe' Tuesday with a budget of EUR 95 billion to spur Europe's economic recovery from 2021-2027.

Innovation divide holds back EU research potential — 02 February 2021, 23:51 CET

The capacity of European firms to take up and develop state-of-the-art technology varies considerably among Member States and prevents the EU from fully exploiting its potential, EU auditors said Tuesday.

EIB announces EUR 300m investment in space — 17 January 2021, 21:43 CET

The European Investment Fund and the EU Commission announced investment of some EUR 300 million into the European space sector Wednesday, supporting ground-breaking innovation in the industry.

Europe adopts digital way forward — 14 December 2020, 18:18 CET

The EU institutions struck a provisional deal Monday on a new programme to promote large-scale deployment of state-of-the art technology such as artificial intelligence and the latest cybersecurity tools.

Brussels signals overhaul of EU intellectual property system — 01 December 2020, 22:23 CET

The EU Commission published an action pan on Intellectual Property Wednesday, to help smaller firms in particular make the most of their inventions and creations and ensure Europe benefits fully from them.

Leuven is Europe's Capital of Innovation 2020 — 25 September 2020, 23:57 CET

The city of Leuven in Belgium is the European Capital of Innovation 2020, in recognition of its excellent innovation concepts as well as its processes and governance models that enable ideas come to life.

'New genetic engineering' techniques associated with numerous risks — 14 August 2020, 00:11 CET

A new scientific paper published in the Environmental Sciences Europe journal gives an overview of the risks associated with genome editing procedures (new genetic engineering) for plants and animals. The risks are not only restricted to a wide range of unintended effects that can be triggered by the process of genome editing. There are also risks associated with the intended biological characteristics generated through genome editing.

EUR 128m EU funding for coronavirus research projects — 15 August 2020, 00:15 CET

The EU Commission announced EUR 128 million of EU funding Tuesday for 23 new research projects involving 347 research teams from 40 countries in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

EUR 1bn fund for innovative clean technology projects: 1st call — 07 July 2020, 17:55 CET

The European Commission launched Friday the first call for proposals under the EU Innovation Fund, one of the world's largest programmes for the demonstration of innovative low-carbon technologies.

Pandemic recovery the focus for EU's innovation performance — 24 June 2020, 11:08 CET

Europe's innovation performance continues to improve, surpassing the United States, an EU report said Tuesday, with the focus of research activities being on overcoming the coronavirus pandemic.

EU grants EUR 314m to innovative companies to combat virus, support recovery — 09 June 2020, 19:16 CET

The EU Commission announced the award Monday of nearly EUR 166 million to companies set to combat the coronavirus pandemic, and another EUR 148 million to fund Europe's economic recovery plan.

Coronavirus: EU issues new call for EUR 122m research funding — 20 May 2020, 23:31 CET

The European Commission put out a call for expressions of interest for new funding of EUR 122 million Tuesday for urgently needed research into the coronavirus. The deadline for submission is 11 June.

European Patent Office gives green light to prohibit patents on plants and animals — 14 May 2020, 23:12 CET

Patents on plants and animals derived from conventional breeding can be fully prohibited in Europe. This is the result of a verdict published today by the Enlarged Board of Appeal, the highest legal body of the European Patent Office (EPO).

EU adds EUR 72m to fund 8 major coronavirus research projects — 13 May 2020, 18:44 CET

The EU is to increase to EUR 72m its funding for 8 large-scale European research projects aimed at developing treatments and diagnostics for the coronavirus, the Commission announced Tuesday.

European data sharing platform opens for COVID-19 researchers — 22 April 2020, 22:27 CET

The Commission together with several partners on Tuesday launched a European COVID-19 Data Platform to enable the rapid collection and sharing of available research data.

COVID-19 Data Portal — 22 April 2020, 00:08 CET

The COVID-19 Data Portal was launched in April 2020 to bring together relevant datasets for sharing and analysis in an effort to accelerate coronavirus research. It enables researchers to upload, access and analyse COVID-19 related reference data and specialist datasets as part of the wider European COVID-19 Data Platform.