Hamburg Science Summit 2025: Europe’s agenda for science and innovation
Europe’s next R&I framework must balance geopolitical goals with scientific freedom. As FP10 takes shape, key questions arise: How to ensure openness in an era of strategic autonomy? And how to protect bottom-up science while aligning with Europe’s security and industrial ambitions?
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pledged to put science and innovation at the heart of Europe’s economy, echoing calls for stronger R&I investment in recent reports by Draghi, Letta and Heitor. However, Europe’s new agenda is taking shape against a geopolitical backdrop. The next Framework Programme (FP10) will not only succeed Horizon Europe — a programme widely seen as a success — but also form part of Europe’s response to a challenged security order, transatlantic tensions and concerns about strategic autonomy. This shift raises new questions about the balance between scientific independence and political priority-setting, exemplified by debates over the future role of the European Research Council and the relationship between research funding and the EU Competitiveness Fund. How can Europe maintain an open science system while adapting to new industrial and security imperatives? How should FP10 balance strategic goals with scientific openness and bottom-up, curiosity-driven research?
- Thierry Coulhon President, Institut Polytechnique de Paris; Board Member, Udice – French Research Universities
- Patrick Cramer President, Max Planck Society
- Maria Leptin President, European Research Council
- Moderated by Terry Martin
