Europe – International

Today, European innovation policy is explicitly based on the ambition to use research and innovation to achieve social, ecological, and economic progress. This integrated approach is at the heart of the European Green Deal, the European Union's overarching growth framework that guides all of the European Commission's major support and financing programs. The Green Deal has a major impact on regional, industrial, and innovation policy and marks a clear change of course: climate objectives are now on an equal footing with economic and social objectives and are pursued in a coherent manner. 

This societal focus is clearly reflected in Horizon Europe (2021-2027), the current European framework program for research and innovation. Through concrete missions, among other things, the European Union wants to make tangible progress on major societal challenges such as climate change, health, and sustainable mobility. Other important European policy initiatives and investments – including in the circular economy, bioeconomy, and digital transition – also explicitly link strengthening competitiveness to achieving European climate and sustainability goals.