Policy Brief: The role of R&I in support of Europe’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis

R&I are critical levers to ensure a sustainable and inclusive recovery, while boosting the resilience of our production sectors, the competitiveness of our economies and the transformation of our socio-economic systems. This documents focuses on six axes:

(1) The role of R&I as essential part of the coordinated EU response to the Covid-19 outbreak;

(2) R&I drive, enable and accelerate the digital and ecological transformation of our societies, with a focus on the European Green Deal;  

(3) In the  context of the current fiscal stance as a response to Covid-19, and in view of potential future crises, public investments in R&I should be prioritised;

(4) Investments in innovative SMEs (including start-ups) and midcaps are critical for the Recovery;

(5) Incentives for firms to create capacity to maintain their economic activityand invest in people and in R&I during the crisis to build system wide resilience;

(6) R&I funding has been among the most impactful tools at EU level to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.