EFPIA associations issue FP10 joint statement

Article summary

About 110 European associations of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) representing key European research, development, and innovation (RD&I) stakeholders have issued a statement urging the EU to significantly increase the budget for the next European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10). They argue that the EU lags behind global competitors in RD&I investments, especially from the private sector, hampering its ability to capitalise on its scientific and technological potential. FP10 plays a crucial role in stimulating private RD&I investments by lowering risks and pooling resources across Member States, industry, research organisations, and academia to tackle complex challenges collectively. Evaluations show the highest financial leverage was achieved through European partnerships in Horizon 2020, where private contributions more than doubled or tripled EU investments. The associations call for reinforcing collective EU RD&I investments in the next EU budget, complemented by national investments meeting the 3% of GDP target to leverage more private RD&I spending. They argue that...