29 Nov 2024
Portugal publishes principles and recommendations for FP10
Portugal has presented a position paper for FP10 emphasising excellence, openness, and curiosity-driven research and innovation. The paper calls for maintaining competitive, high-standard evaluations and streamlined funding processes, prioritising access for newcomers like SMEs and start-ups. It highlights the importance of collaboration and transparency, alongside a balance between curiosity-driven research and strategic focus areas.
Portugal supports the EU target of 3% GDP investment in R&D, aiming to realise the European Research Area by spreading excellence and innovation across all Member States and funding pillars. The document stresses the importance of addressing societal and global challenges with multi-disciplinary collaboration, focusing EU competitiveness on societal needs.
Portugal calls for aligning EU and Member State investments to support transitions in green, digital, and health sectors, optimising research infrastructure to avoid duplication and fragmentation. Moreover, Portugal underscores the need for career stability and growth, making research careers attractive and enhancing the EU’s global competitiveness.
The paper sets out recommendations which include expanding ERC funding to support more researchers, enhancing international cooperation, and fostering collaborative frontier research. The recommendations also emphasise the importance of ensuring a continuum between research and disruptive innovation, expanding EIC support, redesigning innovation governance, and investing in large-scale research infrastructures.
The paper calls for simplifying the funding process, establishing a unified “one-stop shop” platform, and promoting excellence by rewarding high-performing projects. Additionally, it emphasises prioritising focus areas such as AI, clean energy, med-tech, and dual-use technologies, alongside fostering international cooperation with strategic partners in Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean, and Latin America.
The Postuguese position paper can be downloaded here: