The EU’s Innovation Act can address hurdles to innovation and boost Europe’s competitiveness

There is a growing need to boost European competitiveness through policies and funding that enable innovation. To fully leverage universities’ pivotal role in regional ecosystems across Europe, the Innovation Act should reflect a comprehensive and dynamic understanding of innovation, where the process and the outcomes are equally important and adequately facilitated by talent, culture and incentives.   

In addition, EUA’s response underlines the social impact that interdisciplinarity and cross-sectoral partnership can achieve when coupled with entrepreneurial skills and diverse career paths for researchers. Whether in startups or established companies, European researchers demonstrate that universities are the cradle of new ideas that lead to job creation, environmental sustainability and local development.      

As EUA submitted its initial contribution, Vinciane Gaillard, the Association’s Director for Research and Innovation, reflected that:

“The European Innovation Act is an opportunity to recognise that research and innovation is a spectrum drawing upon the many and diverse contributions of universities to basic and applied research, all the way to commercialisation.”

Gaillard added that “Universities, as locally embedded institutions that connect different sectors and communities, develop talent and stimulate the scaling up and retention of innovative startups, have a central place in the innovation process. For these reasons, the Innovation Act is just as important as the ERA Act for the university sector, and we are ready to contribute to its success.”

As the design of the Innovation Act is still in its early stages, EUA will continue to monitor its development and looks forward to showcasing universities’ key role to the European Commission, European Parliament, member states and fellow stakeholders.

Read EUA’s response in full