The Council of Associated Laboratories (CLA), of which the CES is a member, has signed the following joint statement, together with five other institutions representing the national research and innovation system, calling on the Portuguese Government to advocate for strong European investment in research during the discussions on the European Union’s next financial framework:

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 Joint Statement

Strengthening the 10th Framework Programme:
research and innovation for European competitiveness

Research and innovation (R&I) are essential to Europe’s competitiveness, strategic autonomy and prosperity. The Letta, Draghi and Heitor reports all emphasise the need to boost investment in knowledge and innovation in order to sustain productivity growth and address the challenges facing Europe.

The signatory organisations call on the Portuguese Government to advocate, in European negotiations, for an ambitious increase in the budget for the 10th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation across all its pillars, with a dedicated, ring-fenced allocation and effective coordination with the European Competitiveness Fund.

The proposal by the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034, published on 10 October 2026, provides for a budget of 158.1 billion euros for the 10th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, representing a reduction of €16.9 billion – almost 10 per cent – compared with the €175 billion initially proposed by the European Commission. This proposal deepens previous cuts, running counter to the priority given to science, technology and innovation in the Draghi report, which aimed to strengthen European competitiveness and strategic autonomy. We call on the Portuguese Government to oppose these cuts and to advocate for a budget of 220 billion euros for the period 2028–2034, as recommended by the independent group of high-level experts chaired by Manuel Heitor – former Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education.

Closing the technological and competitiveness gap with the United States and China requires a joint European effort, characterised by scale and continuity. The Framework Programme brings together knowledge, talent, infrastructure and capabilities from different countries, enabling collaborations that would not be possible at a purely national level. Research and innovation are crucial for decarbonisation and the digital transition to establish themselves as drivers of sustainable competitiveness, generating productivity gains and new opportunities for technological and industrial leadership. Developing these capabilities should also help reduce Europe’s technological dependencies in strategic areas.

Strengthening the 10th Framework Programme should make it possible to fund more frontier research, train, attract, and nurture talent, and scale up collaborative research to boost competitiveness and address social challenges. It should also expand support for disruptive and high-risk innovation, the validation of new technologies, and the creation and development of science- and technology-based enterprises. This ambition requires more robust and accessible research and technology infrastructures and a more integrated European Research Area, which will strengthen the capacity to generate, absorb and capitalise on knowledge, broaden participation and mobilise excellence across the Union.

Coordination with the European Competitiveness Fund should ensure continuity of funding for research and technological development, demonstration, the adoption of new solutions, and business expansion, while respecting the remit of each instrument and strengthening the economic and social value of knowledge. This coordination should be based on funding mechanisms and procedures that facilitate transitions between stages, taking into account different levels of maturity, risk, and development time.

This position is based on five key areas:

1. Resources commensurate with ambition. Under-investment in R&I and the fragmentation of capabilities and markets limit European competitiveness. Strengthening the Framework Programme should enable large-scale projects and partnerships capable of consolidating scientific and technological advantages and opening up new leadership opportunities.
2. Stability and predictability. A budget protected from reallocation to other priorities is essential for planning investments, developing careers and maintaining infrastructure and long-term collaborations. This predictability must cover the entire programming period and all R&I activities supported by the Framework Programme.
3. Mobilisation of additional investment. European R&I funding has the capacity to attract national public resources and private investment, broadening the scope of projects. Collaborative projects and long-term partnerships, including the Framework Programme’s European Partnerships, enable pooling expertise and resources from scientific and technological institutions, businesses, and public bodies around common objectives.
4. Complementarity between public and private funding. Public funding supports knowledge creation and activities involving high risk and uncertainty, where the economic and social returns may take a long time to materialise. Coordination with private investment, particularly through public-private partnerships, enables the development and demonstration of technologies, supports their adoption and creates the conditions for larger-scale investment.
5. Complementarity between European and national investment. An ambitious Framework Programme requires robust national R&I systems and sustained funding. In Portugal, the creation of the Agency for Research and Innovation (AI2) and the revision of the Science and Innovation Act must be accompanied by effective investment in national capabilities, given that national investment is essential for the ability to participate in and lead European initiatives, which in turn enhance the scale and impact of national capabilities.

Strengthening the 10th Framework Programme, across all its pillars and in conjunction with the European Competitiveness Fund, means investing in Europe’s capacity to create knowledge, develop technologies and generate innovation. Portugal must champion this strengthening of research and innovation as a priority for promoting sustainable development, both within the country and across the European Union as a whole.

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CCISP – Coordinating Council of Higher Polytechnic Institutes

CC-RNIE – Coordinating Council for the National Roadmap for Scientific Infrastructures of Strategic Interest

CLA – Council of Associated Laboratories

CRUP – Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities

CTI Alliance – Portuguese Network of Technology and Innovation Centres

FCoLAB – Forum of Collaborative Laboratories