National Action Plan for the European Research Area adopted

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has adopted an Action Plan for the European Research Area (ERA), which outlines national guidelines and areas of focus. The main goals are to establish ERA as a competitive and genuine "single market for knowledge" and to strengthen Germany as a center of science and research.

Since 2000, the realization of the European Research Area (ERA) has been one of the central political guiding principles for the orientation of European research and innovation policy and a joint task of the EU Member States and the European Commission.

Priorities of the European Research Area

The European Research Area aims to improve and harmonise the framework conditions for research and innovation in Europe. The goal is to organise the European research landscape according to the following priorities:

- To deepen cooperation in the sense of a "single market for knowledge";

- Contribute to the green transition, digital transformation and other societal challenges in dialogue with citizens;

- Improve access to excellence in research and innovation across the European Union and connect innovation ecosystems in the EU;

- Drive investment and reform in research and innovation.

The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation "Horizon Europe" is the most important tool for implementing ERA's priorities.

With the agreement on the "Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe" in 2021, the EU member states and the European Commission agreed on common priorities, values and principles for research and innovation in Europe. The Action Plan is directly linked to this pact and to the Federal Government's „Future Strategy for Research and Innovation“ and is the result of a comprehensive consultation process with national stakeholders from research and innovation, which the Federal Ministry of Education and Research carried out with the federal states from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023.

Further information:

• National Action Plan for the European Research Area 2023 (German language)
• Press release (German language) from 15 November 2023
   

Source: BMBF