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R&I as a key factor for industrial transformation: Zabala Innovation’s commitment to boosting FP10

On January 28th, the European Parliament hosted the event “R&I as a Key Factor for Industrial Transformation,” bringing together leading policymakers, experts, and industry leaders to discuss the critical role of Research and Innovation (R&I) in strengthening industrial competitiveness across Europe. Zabala Innovation played a central role in advocating for enhanced support for industrial R&D as a fundamental driver of Europe’s economic growth and innovation leadership.

Zabala Innovation: Supporting R&D to strengthen industrial competitiveness

Erik Zabala, CEO of Zabala Innovation, underscored the importance of securing public funding to fuel industrial innovation. He highlighted that as Europe moves towards the next Framework Programme (FP10), addressing the challenges of innovation ecosystems and simplifying funding processes will be crucial for strengthening Europe’s industrial competitiveness. Zabala Innovation’s Position Paper on FP10 calls for a stronger emphasis on industrial R&D, to ensure European industries remain competitive on the global stage.

Key contributions from leading experts and policymakers

To begin with, Lina Gálvez, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and host of the public hearing, opened the event with a personal anecdote, recalling that the first event she hosted at the European Parliament was with Zabala Innovation in January 2020, just before the pandemic. She then laid out the importance of upcoming proposals such as the Competitiveness Compass and its Competitiveness Fund, which will significantly impact Europe’s R&I and industrial transformation. Gálvez emphasized the need for AI integration and the importance of maintaining gender equity in the innovation landscape, highlighting that “talent is equally spread, but opportunities are not.”

Following her, Teresa Riesgo, General Secretariat for Innovation in Spain, stressed that science must benefit citizens and that knowledge valorization is essential for Europe to leverage its own industry rather than relying on external sources. She emphasized that innovation must align with Europe’s values and sustainability goals and advocated for more funding and better governance to ensure universities play a central role in addressing societal challenges such as climate change and health.

Dr. Manuel Heitor, member of the Expert Group on Horizon Europe, provided valuable insights into the political trends shaping R&I in Europe. He pointed out the growing focus on sectors such as defense and space, while also highlighting the vital need to maintain a solid innovation ecosystem that supports all sectors. He warned of the risks posed by increasing polarization and stressed the need to shift back toward prioritizing fundamental science.

Heitor showed the expert´s report “ACT, ALIGN, ACCELERATE”, which outlines a comprehensive framework for fostering collaboration and alignment between European countries and industries. This report focuses on accelerating the transition to digital and green technologies by aligning national and European policies, ensuring synergies between stakeholders, and promoting efficient and inclusive innovation ecosystems. Heitor’s vision emphasizes the importance of leveraging research and technological development to boost Europe’s global competitiveness, with a particular focus on cutting-edge areas such as artificial intelligence, clean energy, and quantum computing. Through this strategic approach, Heitor aims to ensure that Europe remains at the forefront of technological advancements, driving both economic growth and sustainability across the continent.

Lidia Borrell, from Science Europe, presented the publication “What Europe Needs”, outlining 10 key messages for FP10. These included strengthening programs like the European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), promoting open science, and addressing the innovation gap between high- and low-spending countries. She also stressed the importance of diversity, inclusion, and environmental sustainability in Europe’s R&I policies.

Moreover, Eduardo Beltrán de Nanclares, from Mondragón Corporation, raised concerns about the high demands of carbon footprint reduction programs and advocated for a more flexible approach to digital skills and Pillar II funding. He highlighted the importance of supporting flexible manufacturing to enable European industries to adapt and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

In addition, Emilie Mercier, from EDF, focused on electrification and decarbonisation as central to reducing Europe’s carbon footprint. She outlined the key focus areas for FP10, including technological diversity, fostering collaboration within innovation ecosystems, and simplifying regulatory processes to enhance R&I investments in sustainable technologies.

A vision for collaboration and synergy in innovation

Building on these insights, Oihane Aguirregoitia, MEP ITRE Committee, shared insights into the region’s successful synergy between industry and academia. She emphasized that regional projects could serve as regulation sandboxes for scaling innovations across Europe. Aguirregoitia stressed the importance of creating frameworks that allow local solutions to grow into European-wide initiatives.

In a similar vein, Orla Feely, from University College Dublin, CESAER Association president, highlighted the need for Europe to tackle industrial competitiveness challenges while maintaining sufficient R&I funding. She identified priorities such as talent circulation, fostering private sector funding, and pushing for regulatory simplification to unlock innovation potential across sectors.

Building upon this, Mikel Landabaso, from the Joint Research Centre (INCITE), focused on the transformative role of AI in shaping the future of industrial ecosystems. He stressed the importance of connecting the best players across regions to drive collaborative success in AI-based innovation and ensure that Europe remains competitive in the digital age.

Furthermore, Ioannis Sagias, DG RTD – Head of the Unit for valorisation policies and IPR , championed valorisation policies to ensure that research outputs benefit society. He called for more robust business plans, better intellectual asset management, and stronger incentives for researchers to drive practical innovation.

The last round table was moderated by Alessandro Provaggi, director of the Brussels office, whose expertise in European policies facilitated a collaborative exchange of ideas.

Closing remarks and key takeaways

During the Q&A session, Enagas and the European Industry Council raised important concerns regarding bureaucracy and the lack of commercialization tools for innovations, suggesting the need for de-risking tools, new fiscal policies, and simplified processes for SMEs.

In her concluding remarks, Lina Gálvez reaffirmed the critical importance of R&I for Europe’s industrial transformation, urging everyone to “Choose Europe” as the key to a prosperous and competitive future.

Looking ahead: continued commitment to FP10 and public-private collaboration

As we move forward, Zabala Innovation remains deeply committed to working alongside stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to ensure that FP10 fosters a strong innovation ecosystem for the benefit of all.

Zabala Innovation will continue the advocacy for strategic investments in industrial R&D and promote public-private collaboration to develop solutions that will enhance Europe’s global competitiveness. Together with their partners, the company will stay dedicated to fostering the innovation framework, ensuring that Europe leads in sustainability, digitalization, and advanced manufacturing.