Abstract
The history of European research began long before that of our institutions. Knowledge circulates freely, and intellectual exchanges have flourished between researchers for many centuries. Science is the field par excellence in which the sharing of knowledge, the pooling of expertise, collaboration and dialogue between researchers from all over the world have led to spectacular advances. The history of European research is also littered with obstacles and questions, some of which are still very much with us today : member states still invest too little in research and innovation ; Europe has to strike a balance between openness and protecting its technological sovereignty ; its successes are too often unknown to the general public.
Yet recent history has once again demonstrated Europe's ability to meet global challenges and work for the well-being of the community : the Covid-19 messenger RNA vaccine is the result of a research effort funded over the last twenty years by the European Research Council. Established in 2007 to fund scientific excellence at the frontiers of knowledge, the European Research Council is dedicated to exploratory research, with scientific excellence as its sole selection criterion. Alongside this veritable factory of Nobel Prize winners, in 2020 Europe will have a factory of unicorns, the European Innovation Council, designed to support disruptive innovation, and a powerful co-creation tool designed to solve major societal challenges, the Missions.
At a time when the planet is facing unprecedented challenges, and when the Presidency of the European Commission is formulating clear and strong ambitions in the fields of climate and digital technologies, European research and innovation policy has never been so dynamic. In what direction can it still develop ? What are the new areas in which we need to concentrate our efforts ? How can we further improve the coordination of research in Europe and with our international partners ? These are just some of the topics to be addressed in this lecture.
