Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Building the European Research Area: A local and regional perspective
Date: 2025-05-14
Institutions: Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture, European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU research policy, industry-research relations, innovation, investment, open science, research and development, research infrastructure, research staff, scientific cooperation, territorial cohesion








C_202503480EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/3480


16.7.2025






Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Building the European Research Area: A local and regional perspective
(C/2025/3480)














Rapporteur



:


Melanie KÜHNEMANN-GRUNOW (DE/PES), Member of the Berlin House of Representatives





Reference document



:


Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Implementation of the European Research Area (ERA) Strengthening Europe’s Research and Innovation: The ERA’s Journey and Future Directions
COM(2024) 490 – final









POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)

General comments









1.


acknowledges the Commission’s 2024 Communication on the implementation of the ERA, noting that it provides a significant opportunity to strengthen Europe’s research and innovation (R&I) ecosystems while addressing persistent disparities;












2.


considers it essential for the development of Europe as a whole to speed up efforts to fulfil the Commission’s commitment to place R&I at the core of the EU economy and to increase research spending;












3.


calls for an ambitiously funded and independent framework programme on R&I which includes a chapter on capacity building and promoting the participation of those regions that need that special support so that no one is left behind; stresses that the realisation of the European Research Area (ERA) remains far from complete and must be further reinforced to achieve its full potential;












4.


calls for a truly unified research market, per the Letta report (1), emphasising a structured framework for fair resource distribution, researcher mobility and scientific advancement;












5.


recognises universities and research centres as essential ERA pillars, fostering knowledge, talent, and tech transfer; highlights, in addition to ongoing efforts to strengthen basic research, the importance of accelerating the translation of research results into practical and effective solutions across sectors; calls for the increased involvement of universities and research centres, regional authorities, and cities in ERA policy design and execution;












6.


emphasises local and regional authorities’ (LRAs) role in the smart specialisation strategy S3 within cohesion policy, ensuring active subsidiarity where LRAs shape, implement and assess policies, not merely receive them;












7.


emphasises that the incorporation of multi-level governance frameworks is paramount, ensuring that LRAs play a participatory role in shaping policies and aligning the objectives of local innovation ecosystems with European priorities, thereby fostering cohesion and inclusivity in the achievement of ERA goals;












8.


calls for the establishment of an effective multi-level governance framework within the ERA Forum, ensuring structured participation of LRAs in policy design and implementation; notes that this should be complemented by clearer articulation between the ERA Policy Agenda and the EU’s Framework Programmes, facilitating regional engagement in innovation-driven policies;












9.


calls for the full integration of regional authorities into the governance and coordination mechanisms of the ERA Forum and ERA Hubs, ensuring that regional voices are reflected in programming, implementation and evaluation of Horizon Europe and future framework programmes; existing structures should be reinforced rather than duplicated, with clarity on the role of LRAs in European partnerships and missions;












10.


calls for a rethinking of the Widening measures under FP10 and the ERA, with simplification of application procedures, targeted capacity-building for first-time applicants, and tailored support schemes for local actors new to EU R&I programmes;












11.


supports ERA hubs, which foster research, development, transfer and innovation and reduce the gap between high-performing and less-developed regions, creating inclusive ecosystems that leverage local strengths while aligning with broader EU strategies;












12.


draws attention to the persistent slow progress in meeting the 3 % GDP research and development (R&D) investment target, and underscores the need to make systemic changes; calls on Member States to prioritise enhanced public investment in R&I as the cornerstone for achieving this target and plays an important role in leveraging greater private RD&I investment; calls on the Commission, and on each Member State, to draw up roadmaps for achieving the 3 % target. The Commission should support all Member States in setting out how they can contribute to meeting the target and ensure the target benefits regions across the EU, with tailored support to the specific needs and challenges of each country and region;












13.


calls on the Commission to propose standardised benchmarks for national R&I investments to ensure transparency, comparability, and a coherent path to meeting the 3 % GDP target, addressing persistent inconsistencies in national reporting;












14.


calls for increased participation of private sector stakeholders in ERA actions to reduce the public-private investment gap in research and innovation; stresses the need for targeted incentives under the upcoming ERA Act to encourage private R&D investment, with particular focus on next generation technology, deep science and deep tech and strategic industrial sectors;












15.


urges the Commission to improve European R&I competitiveness and ensure that underperforming regions, including those located in countries classified as ‘moderate’ or ‘strong’ innovators, are better supported with targeted grants and co-financing mechanisms under Horizon Europe and the next Framework Programme; calls for this support to have a particular focus on underperforming regions, in order to address persistent disparities in research capacity; supports knowledge-sharing networks and capacity-building initiatives, and calls for structured cooperation frameworks that enable high-performing regions to increase their R&I investments, share expertise and engage in mentoring or twinning partnerships with lower-performing regions, thereby encouraging complementary private sector investments and ensuring equitable access to resources and infrastructure;












16.


underlines that the ERA must prioritise research outcomes with practical and measurable societal, economic, and environmental impacts, addressing pressing challenges, including high-tech competitiveness, climate adaptation and mitigation, healthcare innovation, industrial decarbonisation and digital transformation, while supporting market-driven sustainable solutions that account for diverse regional needs and benefit all sectors of society;












17.


supports the European Parliament’s call (2) to significantly improve the design and implementation of the EU Missions, such as the Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities; stresses that the current approach lacks sufficient focus on fostering breakthrough and bottom-up R&I ideas (including in sparsely populated areas) and that the EU Missions must be reoriented to stimulate creativity, experimentation and novel research that directly addresses pressing societal challenges; emphasises that the active involvement of LRAs is key to the success of the EU Missions, given their role in implementing place-based solutions and engaging local stakeholders; draws attention to the need to focus on practical, measurable outcomes, as these initiatives can drive systemic transformation while strengthening the EU’s global competitiveness;












18.


echoes the European Parliament’s call for new mission-oriented initiatives under FP10 to directly tackle Europe’s socio-economic, ecological, and strategic technological challenges; highlights that these missions should be guided by clearly defined objectives and supported by deep, topic-specific expertise – rather than generalist approaches – to ensure that R&I investments produce measurable, high-impact outcomes;












19.


notes that the ERA’s integration with green and digital transitions should be further strengthened by supporting the development of clean technologies, renewable energy solutions, and circular economy models as part of regional R&I strategies under smart specialisation. The ERA should encourage regions to focus on sustainable urban development, inclusive innovation, and climate resilience;












20.


highlights that the implementation of EU Missions must be re-designed to increase their impact, relevance, and societal value, ensuring that local and regional actors actively contribute as their engagement is essential to developing and implementing place-based solutions; stresses that missions must go beyond fostering research excellence to delivering innovation-led solutions that directly address the EU’s strategic priorities, reinforcing its resilience, competitiveness and sustainability. Underlines that the success of missions depends on an integrated and coordinated approach across EU programmes and funding instruments, ensuring that both R&I and non-R&I dimensions are adequately supported. Calls for improved interinstitutional coordination and for clearer governance structures, while avoiding fragmentation and ensuring synergy and complementarity in the implementation of missions;












21.


calls for a stronger role for social sciences and humanities (SSH) in regional innovation strategies and EU Missions, particularly in fostering public acceptance, societal relevance, and inclusivity in technological transitions;












22.


proposes that the role of regional and local ecosystems in European partnerships be increased in order to make European partnerships as impactful and inclusive as possible. To this end, it is essential that regional and local authorities be more actively involved in the partnership’s governance and decision making structures, thus ensuring greater subnational diversity and better alignment with the priorities and needs of the area;












23.


calls for the ERA to strengthen the ethical dimension in research and innovation, mainstreaming it into its policies and programmes. Ethics not only ensures that science is developed with accountability, transparency and integrity, but is also key to increasing society’s trust in research and ensuring that scientific progress is aligned with the fundamental values of the European Union. In a context of emerging and sensitive technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology or research with potential dual uses, robust frameworks are essential to guide decisions, foster ethical reflection from the early stages of projects and promote a shared culture of integrity;












24.


urges gender equality in STEAM fields and innovation via robust inclusion plans, leveraging LRAs’ proximity to enhance women’s representation in leadership and foster equitable opportunities, thus making gender equality a cornerstone of the ERA; calls for the role of LRAs in promoting innovation based female entrepreneurship to be fostered and supported, giving female entrepreneurs visibility and helping to create role models;












25.


suggests creating programmes for regional leadership in innovation, targeting public and private actors in regions with low R&D&I performance, in order to strengthen strategic, technical and managerial capacities needed to access European research programmes;





Leveraging cohesion policy to address imbalances in excellence









26.


stresses that cohesion policy is key to reducing disparities and strengthening R&I capacity, ensuring all regions and cities have equitable access to resources; highlights its role in fostering inclusivity, strengthening local capacities and creating a balanced and sustainable innovation ecosystem;












27.


promotes a gender-responsive approach to research and innovation, ensuring equitable opportunities for all researchers to lead and shape projects aligned with ERA priority areas;












28.


welcomes the mobilisation of EUR 96 billion (3) for investments in R&I under national and regional programmes for 2014-2020, each supported by place-based S3; emphasises that these must be defined by the regions themselves, reflecting their unique strengths and specialisation;












29.


urges better synergies between Horizon Europe and cohesion policy, allocating more resources to underperforming regions, fostering intra- and inter-regional collaboration, while respecting inclusivity and place-based approaches;












30.


recommends leveraging programmes like Interreg, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and interregional innovation investments (I3) to reinforce technical assistance, capacity building, policy reform and participation from less-developed regions by promoting innovation and the transfer of knowledge or increasing peripheral and outermost regions’ participation in European cooperation networks;












31.


stresses the need to more fully integrate research and innovation strategies by including Horizon Europe objectives in regional development strategies and plans in order to use the available funds more efficiently;












32.


in this regard, emphasises that smart specialisation strategies have become a dominant policy framework at regional level and should play a stronger role in Europe’s industrial transition (4);












33.


recommends that the review of smart specialisation strategies (RIS3) provide for an explicit alignment with ERA priorities and missions, and that the Commission establish cross-validation mechanisms for the two policies to maximise synergies;












34.


proposes strengthening the I3 budget, and that a percentage of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) resources be used to implement smart specialisation strategies within interregional investment projects, strengthening industrial value chains, removing barriers to development and fostering interregional partnerships for innovation-led growth;












35.


recognises the European Innovation Council (EIC) as the largest tech innovation investor, and calls for a strong EIC and European Research Council (ERC) in Framework Programme 10 to uphold EU R&I leadership;












36.


with regard to removing the barriers to development referred to in the previous point, we call on the European Commission to adapt the I3 instrument to enable quadruple helix innovation actors in less-developed and outermost regions to strengthen their regional innovation ecosystems and, in addition, to promote the establishment of regulatory sandboxes or other similar instruments to facilitate the implementation of projects;












37.


emphasises the importance of addressing the persistent gaps that hinder the realisation of the EU’s crucial target of investing 3 % of GDP in R&I; stresses that achieving this objective requires a robust focus on incentivising public- and private-sector investments (5); underlines that while tax credits can play a role, their effectiveness must be carefully assessed, as concerns persist that they may not always be well-targeted and could divert funds away from direct public research investments;












38.


calls for a more balanced approach that prioritises strengthening public research while fostering private-sector contributions through well-calibrated financial incentives; advocates for a mix of tailored incentives, including carefully designed tax measures, public-private partnerships, and eased access to EU funding instruments; draws attention to the fact that targeted regional programmes must support SMEs and start-ups in R&D-intensive sectors, ensuring their active participation;












39.


recognises the need for improvements to the ways in which the research community raises funds under international grant schemes, with a view to boosting research cooperation and cooperation between researchers;












40.


stresses that the ERA Monitoring Report and Scoreboard provide valuable insights into national-level progress, but that they lack a dedicated regional dimension; calls on the Commission to incorporate regional indicators within the ERA Scoreboard to ensure a more nuanced assessment of R&I performance across territories; reaffirms the importance of systematically leveraging tools such as the Regional Innovation Scoreboard to identify areas requiring intervention; calls on the Commission to consider, alongside other relevant criteria and qualitative assessments, the use of such regional indicators as one of the bases for guiding resource allocation and support measures, with a view to addressing disparities while respecting the diversity of territorial contexts and strengthening evidence-based policy-making to improve EU’s competitiveness;












41.


stresses the importance of improving data transparency at regional level and calls for disaggregated and publicly accessible data on FP10 participation and impact at NUTS 2 level, to support evidence-based policymaking and regional comparison; encourages the Commission and Member States to facilitate regional access to tools such as CORDA, and to explore ways of integrating them into national and regional monitoring systems, while ensuring appropriate guidance and data protection safeguards;





Strengthening territorial cohesion by breaking down silos in access to excellence









42.


supports strengthening ERA hubs as regional anchors and tangible manifestations of territorial innovation ecosystems; highlights their potential to address disparities in R&I performance across regions, supporting less experienced institutions with application processes and fostering collaboration while avoiding over-centralisation or the exclusion of underperforming areas; notes that it is crucial to ensure that universities and research institutes with significant potential are supported to compete globally, enhancing Europe’s RD&I competitiveness without undermining regional cohesion or neglecting less-developed regions;












43.


stresses the importance of incorporating insights from the ERA Hubs pilot projects, particularly the COOPERATE and ERA_FABRIC initiatives, into the ERA Policy Agenda; notes that these hubs should serve as platforms for fostering cross-regional collaboration, breaking down silos between public and private actors, and reinforcing Europe’s industrial competitiveness;












44.


emphasises that the ERA’s approach must incorporate cross-border collaboration, the mobility of a skilled workforce and access to research infrastructures, while ensuring the protection and promotion of workers’ rights;












45.


highlights COST actions and Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions as vital instruments in fostering collaboration, mobility and capacity-building in research, ensuring that researchers – especially those from underperforming regions – benefit from strengthened networks and enhanced career development opportunities;












46.


encourages the Commission to explore targeted incentives and dedicated support mechanisms within EU R&I programmes – such as pilot programmes, demonstrators or COST actions – to enhance the participation of regions with below-average R&D&I performance, including through capacity-building, mentoring schemes, and facilitated access to consortia;












47.


cautions that ERA Hubs must not replicate the limitations of previous initiatives by disproportionately favouring well-performing regions or being reduced to knowledge-sharing platforms without clear bottom-up structures; emphasises the need for targeted communication to incentivise new actors to actively engage in the ERA;












48.


points out that for their development, direct EU financial and strategic support is required; advocates that ERA Hubs contribute effectively to the EU’s scientific and technological progress while strengthening territorial cohesion and innovation capacity across all regions;












49.


calls for account to be taken of the specific situation of the outermost regions, as set out in Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), through specific European funding mechanisms for the development of their R&D&I activities;





Enhancing knowledge sharing, peer learning and multi-level governance









50.


highlights the essential role of the CoR in shaping ERA priorities and implementation strategies, including through its participation in the ERA Forum; calls for the CoR to be actively consulted and involved in discussions on the implementation of the next ERA policy agenda (2025–2027), and for the perspectives and expertise of LRAs to be fully reflected in the identification and prioritisation of actions;












51.


welcomes the ERA Forum as the platform for structured dialogue between the Commission, Member States and stakeholders to align R&I policies and improve cross-departmental coordination; urges the full integration of LRAs into the ERA Forum to ensure genuine multi-level governance in shaping the future of the ERA;












52.


points out that the ERA Forum has demonstrated the fundamental importance of research and knowledge, regardless of where it originates; underlines the need to enhance European cooperation, strengthening valorisation processes so that research outcomes and knowledge-based innovations can be disseminated throughout Europe, delivering tangible benefits for society and business; stresses the need to foster closer cooperation with various Commission Directorates-General on the Knowledge Exchange Platform, ensuring that the use of technologies, innovations, and research-generated knowledge is actively promoted and integrated within the regions;












53.


recognises that the activities of the ERA Forum from 2022 to 2024 demonstrate the need for significantly increased cooperation between the Commission, Member States, and regions to generate the research, knowledge, and innovation required to achieve carbon neutrality; emphasises the importance of striking a balance between public and private funding to meet the EU’s ambitious goals, while ensuring that regional and local authorities are actively engaged and that no region is left behind, particularly outermost regions and those that are less-developed;












54.


calls on Member States to align national R&I strategies with the ERA objectives while ensuring coherence through effective multi-level governance; advocates for sufficient financial commitments at the national and subnational levels in this regard; stresses that regional benchmarks for R&D investment must be established to foster balanced progress across the EU, preventing further fragmentation;












55.


welcomes the fact that the enlargement countries are increasingly able to gain access to Horizon Europe and to successfully apply for funding; stresses that efforts must continue to further reduce disparities in opportunities for participation; encourages the use of mobility and collaboration schemes under Horizon to support researchers from these countries, ensuring that talent is nurtured and integrated into the wider ERA;












56.


calls for closer integration of the ERA with existing frameworks in the field of education, including the European education area (EEA), the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and life-long learning, including vocational training where relevant, to create synergies that support research, innovation, skills development, and knowledge transfer across the EU;












57.


reiterates the need to encourage the promotion of knowledge and technology and their transfer from academia to industry, business and society, and encourages measures to reduce silo thinking – both geographically and across sectors – to foster greater collaboration and innovation; calls for efforts to encourage local and regional authorities to support scientific and technological entrepreneurship, as an efficient way to transfer technology to society and to attract and retain talent;












58.


welcomes the Commission’s commitment to gender equality in the ERA, including the ‘Zero Tolerance Code of Conduct on Counteracting Gender-Based Violence, including sexual harassment, in the EU research and innovation system’ (6) and structured monitoring through the ERA Forum’s gender equality subgroup;












59.


calls for gender equality to be integrated as a horizontal ERA priority, with clear targets, metrics and gender-sensitive processes to track progress and ensure inclusivity; urges Member States and LRAs to adopt evidence-based, intersectional approaches to address barriers faced by women, particularly in STEM fields and innovation; highlights the need to support LRAs with resources and capacity-building programmes to develop and implement effective gender equality plans, leveraging their proximity to communities for greater inclusivity and impact;












60.


advocates improving working conditions for researchers across all Member States, recognising that competitive pay, favourable employment terms and access to state-of-the-art infrastructure are essential for attracting and retaining talent. ERA policies and mechanisms must be better coordinated with Horizon Europe and the future framework programme, incorporating initiatives such as the ERA Talent Platform to improve scientific careers, skills development and mobility of research staff;












61.


calls for recognition and support for research management and administration professionals (RMAs), who are essential for the successful development of research and innovation projects. Specific programmes must be promoted to build their skills and careers, catering for profiles such as project managers, legal experts, transfer officers, innovation officers and data analysts. Integrating them into project structures – alongside research staff – helps to achieve research that is more efficient, effective and aligned with the ERA objectives;












62.


calls for the ‘fifth freedom (7)’ to become a reality by streamlining administrative procedures to facilitate freedom of movement and cross-border collaboration, ensuring researchers can engage seamlessly and sustainably in transnational projects in order to reinforce the EU’s position as a global leader in R&I;












63.


supports the expansion of digital education initiatives, such as the European Competence Framework for Researchers (ResearchComp), to improve digital literacy and transversal skills in the research community; encourages the integration of open science principles in ERA to facilitate knowledge-sharing and strengthen Europe’s digital innovation ecosystem;





Enhancing synergies with smart specialisation strategies









64.


welcomes the alignment of ERA objectives with the EIC and S3; advocates the adoption of S4, underscoring the importance of leveraging the quadruple helix approach (8) to integrate the green and digital transitions into regional R&I frameworks and highlighting smart specialisation strategies as key tools for regional innovation (9), while encouraging local and regional ecosystems to address climate challenge, foster social innovation and promote digital upskilling;












65.


stresses that the success of the ERA depends on strengthening public-private collaboration and fostering dynamic regional innovation ecosystems; encourages regional innovation clusters that unite academia, industry and policymakers to drive collaborative R&I efforts and knowledge transfer;





Enhancing monitoring, coordination and research security









66.


calls for a more effective and transparent monitoring and evaluation system for ERA initiatives, ensuring that impact assessments account for territorial, environmental and gendered dimensions to guide balanced regional development and equitable access to research benefits;












67.


stresses the need to streamline efforts and reduce fragmentation in R&I governance, advocating for a significant increase in funding for the European Research Programme to enhance coordination, foster collaboration and eliminate inefficiencies; highlights the importance of strengthening synergies between national, regional, local and EU-level initiatives and investing in shared research infrastructures, particularly in all regions, especially underperforming regions, to bridge innovation gaps. The ERA Monitoring Mechanism (EMM) should integrate regional dimensions, leveraging tools like the regional innovation scoreboard (RIS) to track progress, identify disparities and promote excellence. There is still a need to further develop the measurement methodology, as many of the indicators used in the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) are not available at regional level, making it difficult to fully assess the situation and take effective action;












68.


emphasises research security, calling for robust risk assessments and the protection of critical research infrastructures to maintain the EU’s R&I sovereignty and competitiveness.






Brussels, 14 May 2025.


The President


of the European Committee of the Regions

Kata TÜTTŐ
               





(1)  
            
Much More than a Market: Speed, Security Solidarity. Empowering the Single Market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU citizens
, by Enrico Letta, April 2024.

(2)  European Parliament resolution of 11 March 2025 on the assessment of the implementation of Horizon Europe in view of its interim evaluation and recommendations for the 10th Research Framework Programme (2024/2109(INI)).

(3)  
            
Ninth Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion
.

(4)  
            COR-2024-01799.

(5)  Draghi, M., The Future of European Competitiveness; European Commission, 2024. Available at: https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/fcbc7ada-213b-4679-83f7-69a4c2127a25_en.

(6)  
            https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6ce8aef5-70b3-11ef-a8ba-01aa75ed71a1/language-en.

(7)  
            
Much More than a Market: Speed, Security Solidarity. Empowering the Single Market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU citizens
, by Enrico Letta, April 2024.

(8)  The ‘quadruple helix’ approach is an innovation model that emphasises collaboration among four key sectors: academia, industry, government and civil society. This model aims to foster co-creation and drive structural changes that surpass the capabilities of any single sector.

(9)  
            COR-2023-03934.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/3480/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)