Finland presents position paper on FP10

Finland presented a compact 'Reflection paper on the future EU RDI Framework Programme' on 21 March 2025. Finland is explicitly in favour of increasing the share of research, development and innovation funding under the next Multiannual Financial Framework, but is critical of a new 'debt-based competitiveness instrument'.

Amongst other issues, the Finnish paper stresses the following elements:

• The principle of excellence and competitive calls must remain as the foundation of EU R&I funding.
• The Framework Programme should further incentivise private funding and knowledge valorisation, and should contribute to reaching the 3% target.
• Funding for collaborative RDI projects and public-private partnerships is important.
• The availability of risk financing for innovation and growth should be strengthened.
• EU RDI funding instruments must be simplified and reformed.
• EU funding processes for innovation should be accelerated and streamlined.
• Technology neutrality is important, while recognising the need to be more competitive in emerging critical and deep technologies (AI, high performance and quantum computing, chips, and 6G).
• Dual-use purposes should be broadly emphasised in the future EU funding.
• Open science, research integrity and academic freedom as well as respecting the needs of research and innovation must remain as fundamental approaches in the Framework Programme.
• Finland does not consider it appropriate to allocate EU research and innovation funding to widening measures. This should be done within cohesion policy programmes.
• Funding activities aimed at solving societal challenges should encourage cross-sectoral collaboration and avoid creating unnecessary silos.
• Top-level scientific research, researcher training and mobility and joint European research infrastructures.

Finnish reflection paper on the future EU RDI Framework Programme