FP10
Safeguarding innovation and strategic autonomy amid global competition through FP10
As the European Union prepares to define its next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the debate over the upcoming Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10) is gaining momentum. The European Parliament has already adopted a report advocating for a separation between the future European Competitiveness Fund and FP10 within the framework of the MFF. Additionally, at an informal meeting held under the auspices of the Polish EU Presidency, the Science and Research ministers from the 27 Member States endorsed the Warsaw Declaration in the same regard.
In line with these positions, while both FP10 and the fund aim to strengthen Europe’s economic and technological leadership, the new framework programme must continue to focus on research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) without being subordinated to broader industrial policy objectives. The European Commission’s 2025 Work Programme and the roadmap of the Directorate-General for Budget for the next MFF provide a timely opportunity to advocate for a well-funded FP10 that ensures Europe’s leadership in cutting-edge technologies.
Supporting research from basic science to market deployment requires increased funding, better research structures, stronger industry-academia collaboration, and robust bridging mechanisms. The Clean Industrial Deal, announced as part of the EU’s industrial policy, highlights the need for substantial investment in clean tech, battery manufacturing, hydrogen, and industrial decarbonisation—areas that will greatly benefit from a reinforced FP10.
Strengthening industry, R&D, and regional cohesion plays a fundamental role in Europe’s competitiveness. Concerns have been raised regarding how the European Competitiveness Fund will interact with regional funding and complementary programs. Ensuring synergies between FP10, cohesion policy, and national initiatives will be critical to drive sustainable economic growth across all EU regions.
The Choose Europe initiative, spearheaded by Manuel Heitor, underscores the urgency of positioning Europe as the preferred hub for research, innovation, and investment. This initiative calls for a stronger alignment between FP10 and industrial policy, while safeguarding the independence of scientific research. It highlights the importance of increasing public and private investment in European research ecosystems and ensuring that FP10 remains an attractive instrument for global talent and cutting-edge research. Choose Europe advocates for reinforcing open strategic autonomy through science-driven competitiveness, ensuring that Europe retains its leadership in frontier technologies and breakthrough innovations.
Academic associations have emphasized the crucial role of science in fostering collaboration, driving technological progress, and addressing global challenges. They argue that FP10 must continue to support fundamental research to bridge knowledge gaps and build synergies between scientific excellence and industrial innovation. Strengthening university-led research, fostering public-private partnerships, and ensuring open scientific collaboration will be key to FP10’s success in shaping Europe’s future.
The FP10 discussion takes place amid growing concerns about Europe’s ability to maintain its global competitiveness. The EU’s commitment to enhancing technological sovereignty and reducing dependencies on third countries makes FP10 a key instrument in strengthening innovation and industrial leadership.
Additionally, the importance of the defence sector and dual-use technologies is increasingly recognized as essential for Europe’s strategic autonomy. Experts, including Manuel Heitor, advocate for FP10 to include support for dual-use research, ensuring that advancements in critical technologies benefit both civilian and defence applications. Strengthening the European defence industry through innovation will enhance security and competitiveness, aligning with broader EU priorities.
At CEPSLab2025 held recently, discussions focused on the vision for the 10FP, emphasizing the need to streamline governance, enhance mission-driven innovation, and strengthen global partnerships. Andrea Renda, CEPS Research Director, is leading a key study on this topic, Towards an ambitious FP10, supported by Wellcome Trust, Imperial College London, and the Gates Foundation. Running from 2028 to 2034, FP10 will follow Horizon Europe and remain the world’s largest R&I funding initiative. Recent reports by Enrico Letta, Mario Draghi, and the Heitor Group highlight the need to double FP10’s budget to restore Europe’s leadership in innovation.
The CEPS report proposes a structural reform based on a brain-inspired model, featuring a core for world-class research, a competitiveness hemisphere focused on industrial transformation, and a global public goods hemisphere addressing international challenges. FP10 must also be agile and adaptable, integrating artificial intelligence to optimize project selection, monitoring, and funding. Governance should be tailored: the competitiveness hemisphere would support dual-use R&I (civil and military), ARPA-style institutions, and innovative procurement, while the global public goods hemisphere would focus on mission-driven innovation and inclusive partnerships.
Finally, the report highlights the FP10 must strengthen its alignment with EU and international policies, ensuring its industrial hemisphere connects with competitiveness, defence, and trade policies, while its global public goods hemisphere integrates with health, sustainability, and the EU’s external action agenda.
The European Commission will present its draft proposal for the next MFF in July. The proposal will clarify key priorities for funding, including how the budget will be structured. A draft for a research Framework Programme usually follows the MFF.
With the upcoming negotiations on the next MFF, ensuring an ambitious budget for innovation is imperative. It must remain an independent pillar for research and innovation, fostering Europe’s leadership in key technologies while complementing broader industrial and competitiveness policies. The time to advocate for a strong FP10 is now, as decisions taken today will shape Europe’s future innovation landscape for years to come.
Zabala Innovation recently organized an event at the European Parliament, hosted by ITRE MEP Lina Gálvez Muñoz, which featured participation from the chair of the Commission’s expert group, Manuel Heitor, DG RTD, and key stakeholders in the sector.
News
FP10 POSITION PAPER
We present our position paper on the 10th Framework Programme. Today we define the lines that will mark the policies that will support Innovation in the period 2028-2034
Opinion
Clean Industrial Deal
Igor Idareta
Team leader with expertise in sustainability European Programmes
Publication
10th Framework Programme
Explore the document in which we share our recommendations and strategic vision for the forthcoming 10th Framework Programme
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Europe offers many opportunities to support and foster Research, Development and Innovation actions. Competition is high and being well positioned among stakeholders active in each sector requires a well thought-out plan of action and an active way of promoting visibility in Brussels.