Research & Innovation in Focus: EFFRA Welcomes Commissioner-Designete Zaharieva

The European Factories of the Future Research Association (EFFRA) celebrates the appointment of Ekaterina Zaharieva as Commissioners-designate for Start-Ups, Research, and Innovation, highlighting her commitment to simplifying the EU’s Framework Programme and fostering a more supportive environment for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups. Zaharieva’s vision for Europe’s research and innovation (R&I) landscape, which she shared in her recent hearing before the European Parliament’s ITRE Committee, underscores her dedication to empowering Europe’s manufacturing sector to embrace growth, digital transformation, and sustainability.

In her responses to MEPs, Zaharieva outlined her intention to radically simplify the next Framework Programme (FP10) to accelerate access to funding and reduce administrative burdens for applicants.

Zaharieva’s hearing also highlighted her commitment to reducing bias in research funding, a move welcomed by MEPs concerned about the equitable distribution of resources across Europe.

Reflecting her support for the Heitor Group’s recommendations, Zaharieva called for increased autonomy within Horizon Europe’s Pillar II and Pillar III initiatives, specifically in the European Innovation Council (EIC) and other collaborative research partnerships. She endorsed more independence for program managers within the EIC, echoing Mario Draghi’s recommendations for an ARPA-like model. With greater flexibility, these skilled managers can better support disruptive, high-risk ventures and make impactful, timely funding decisions to stop or redirect investments as needed.

Another priority for Zaharieva is the protection of the R&I budget from reallocation pressures. She argued that a ring-fenced budget is essential for achieving Horizon Europe’s goals and ensuring R&I funding is not redirected to meet short-term political demands. To reach the long-standing EU target of 3% GDP investment in R&D, Zaharieva highlighted the need for private sector engagement, leveraging EU funds to attract additional private investment.

For countries with historically low participation in Horizon Europe, Zaharieva’s approach includes strengthening the “Widening” program, which addresses regional imbalances in R&I engagement. Notably, Zaharieva plans to introduce standards for working conditions and salaries to discourage the “brain drain” effect, where researchers from Widening countries migrate to more competitive EU regions.

In a nod to Europe’s tech future, Zaharieva emphasised the importance of supporting AI research through a new European Artificial Intelligence Research Council. Recognising the importance of pooling resources for data, funding, computing power, and skills, she pledged to work closely with the new executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen, to develop a unified roadmap for AI innovation.