Debate: A new ERA for Research and Innovation
Date: WEDNESDAY, 7 JULY 2021
Speaker: Virginijus Sinkevičius
Language: EN

First of all, the Commission attaches the highest importance to research careers, as researchers and their activity are fundamental for the full implementation of a reinforced European Research Area, and for the development, growth and resilience of our society. We have already started working on the update of the definition of the taxonomy of researchers’ skills and on the update of the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) classification. We intend to complete this work by the end of this year. In particular, the Commission is developing a list of researchers’ skills and occupations to be included in the ESCO classification with a view to improve the representation of the research profession. The new taxonomy will be transposed at national level for the European mobility portal, EURES, and it will be used by Europass for all the services the new platform provides. Both initiatives will contribute to a better recognition of the research profession and will provide the necessary conditions for researchers at all career stages, including young ones, to be equipped with the skills and competencies they need for a successful career.  The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions will remain the main EU instrument for researchers’ career development and mobility. The new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions further emphasise the role of excellent doctoral training programmes beyond academia, as well as the involvement of other sectors, namely businesses and SMEs, in order to ensure better career prospects for early career researchers. Another important element of the toolbox will be the ERA for You initiative. Currently at the design stage, this mobility scheme is designed to support exchanges between industry and academia and to encourage researchers towards entrepreneurship. The one—stop—shop portal, based on the new current EURAXESS services network and portal, will also be developed to help researchers with all their needs. The ERA Talent Platform will have enhanced features to make it more usable, more interactive and better fit for the purpose.  As regards the academic freedom, the new ERA communication underlined the Commission’s intention to propose a Pact for Research and Innovation Europe. One of the objectives of the pact is to provide a renewed political impulse of the European Research Area by reaffirming the commitment of the Member States to the values and principles of the ERA, including academic freedom.  The recently adopted communication on the global approach to research and innovation also identifies academic freedom as one of the fundamental values that the EU and its Member States should promote and protect internationally. Further work in developing and promoting principles for international cooperation in research and innovation will be carried out in the recently created ERA Forum for Transition. Second, the oral question also looks at how private investments in R&I can be encouraged in order to accelerate the green and digital transitions and foster a resilient and socially equitable recovery. The Commission has proposed the ambitious but realistic target of achieving public R&I investment at European level of 1.25% of GDP by 2030. In the context of the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the European Semester, the Commission engages in in-depth policy dialogues with the Member States with the aim of supporting structural reforms and fostering investments. The Commission regularly monitors R&I reforms and investments in the context of the European Semester and ERA. Preparatory work is being conducted for an ERA scoreboard, which will monitor the relevant dimensions of the ERA, including investments. The last point raised in the oral question concerns the narrowing of the gap in R&I. Research and innovation are critical to boosting the resilience of Europe’s societies and economies, and to supporting Europe’s competitive leadership in the global race for technology. Therefore, Europe needs to bridge the persistent innovation divide. Member States have the possibility to invest in R&I policies and reforms with support from the cohesion policy or the Recovery and Resilience Facility should they make this a priority in their plans. But place—based policies alone are not enough to close the innovation divide. In this context, Horizon Europe, in synergy with the other EU programmes, will continue measures targeting lower R&I performing countries through its Widening Participation programme, which will benefit from an increase in funding to almost EUR 3 billion for the period 2021—2027. A Reinforced Regional Innovation Scheme of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology will also be available for the 2021—2027 period. In Horizon Europe, traditional actions to widen participation will be combined with measures to promote brain circulation, improve the quality of the proposal of legal entities from less performing countries, boost the activities of national contact points developing matching services, promote excellence initiatives, and enjoy ongoing R&I collaborative projects. Synergies between all EU funding programmes for R&I and with national and regional funding schemes are encouraged and will become more simplified than in the past.  Finally, the Commission has also set up a number of instruments, such as the Horizon Policy Support Facility and the Technical Support Instrument to assist countries to define and implement necessary R&I reforms and enhance policy learning across policymakers.