Horizon Europe aims at promoting excellent research and pioneering innovation. Preparations for the 10th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10) are taking shape. In a current position paper, the Alliance of German Science Organisations presents recommendations to the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the German federal government.

European research policy is facing critical decisions: The current 9th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon Europe, concludes on December 31, 2027. FP10 is intended to follow seamlessly. In July 2025, the European Commission presented its proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework and FP10. The specific design phase is now underway.

The Alliance of German Science Organisations welcomes the proposal for a standalone Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (R&D). “The European Commission’s commitment to research and innovation, and its efforts to position them as core elements of Europe’s growth agenda, represent a vital building block for a successful future. In the face of rapid technological developments and global challenges, research, technological development, and innovation are essential to the EU’s long-term competitiveness,” says Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and spokesperson for the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany.

Nonetheless, critical adjustments are needed as negotiations begin on FP10 and the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF). To shape a strong vision and future for Europe, the Alliance sets out recommendations across four key areas:

1. Increase FP10 R&I investment to €200 billion and secure it
2. Balance top-down priorities with bottom-up discovery in FP10
3. Strengthen FP10 governance, particularly at the interface with the ECF, through transparency and involvement of the R&I community
4. Enhance Europe’s commitment to talent and mobility, including a budget increase for Erasmus+ 

The success of FP10 hinges on robust funding and balanced governance that prudently combines critical success factors for excellent research and innovation with societal and economic priorities. Basic research, applied research, and disruptive innovation must go hand in hand — together they form the foundation of Europe’s global competitiveness. The Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany is committed to helping shape a bold vision for European leadership in science and technology in the decades to come.

The Alliance paper with all the recommendations is available at www.allianz-der-wissenschaftsorganisationen.de and at Brussels / EU (fraunhofer.de).

The Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany is an association of Germany’s most prestigious science organizations. It regularly issues statements on important issues of science policy. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is a member of the Alliance and has assumed the speaker role for 2025. Other members are the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service, the German Research Foundation, the Helmholtz Association, the German Rectors’ Conference, the Leibniz Association, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Max Planck Society and the German Science and Humanities Council.