Brussels, 24 July 2019 Seize our common future Europe is confronted with environmental, social, and economic challenges such as tackling climate change, ensuring citizens’ health, wellbeing and security, boosting economic competitiveness and creating jobs. The undersigning organisations are fully convinced of the vital role of Research and Innovation (R&I) to cope with these challenges and the opportunities of the 21st century. The joint effort at European level must be reinforced to achieve the transformation that Europe needs, in order to build a prosperous, safe, inclusive and sustainable future for the next generations. The EU Leaders have recognised this necessity during the Sibiu Summit, committing to stay united and build a Union fit for the future with the means to match these ambitions. Investing in excellent cross-border collaborative R&I that has societal relevance is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and to build a prosperous future for European society. EU R&I plays a key role in:

• Benefiting millions of citizens in Europe by supporting and enabling researchers, innovators, businesses and civil society to use the knowledge and solutions they generate to improve the quality of life. • Developing the skilled and talented people that Europe needs, investing in our human resources to strengthen its educational, knowledge and technology base for a more environmentally friendly and prosperous society. • Fostering European scientific, technological and social leadership by supporting committed researchers that dedicate their excellence for the greater good of humanity. • Boosting Europe’s growth, employment and economic competitiveness by ensuring favourable conditions and policies to translate research results into innovative products, businesses and services. • Strengthening Europe’s innovation capacity and preserving its place as a true leader on knowledge, technology and products developed, at a time when global R&I race accelerates.

We call on the EU Institutions and Leaders to strengthen the R&I investment at European level and urge them to raise the budget of the next EU Programme for R&I (2021-2027), Horizon Europe, to at least €120 billion. Even though a greater amount would be needed to solve the big challenges mentioned above and match the programme’s ambitions, this commitment would give the right signal to boost the public and private R&I investment in Europe. It would also demonstrate Europe’s leadership to rise to the challenges ahead. The European R&I community is fully committed in playing its part together with societal actors.

AN INITIATIVE OF

Fifteen European associations of universities have joined efforts to call for an ambitious Horizon Europe budget that would invest in excellent, cross-border research, education and innovation. Together, we represent more than 800 universities in Europe, committed to create a better future for Europe and its citizens.

SIGNATORIES

Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) European Society of Comparative Literature Medical University of Vienna Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) Association for Teacher Education in Europe European Students’ Union Österreichische Fachhochschul-Konferenz UNA Europa All European Academies European University Institute Österreichische Universitätenkonferenz Universiteit Antwerpen Ecsite European Women Rectors Association Uniko Université catholique de Louvain EU-LIFE Eurotech Universities UAS4EUROPE Université Saint-Louis EURASHE Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) University of Vienna Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie Eurodoc Science Europe Virology MUI Bulgaria Eurocadres Young Academy of Europe Belgium Technical University of Varna European Association of Social Psychology Albania Conseil des recteurs (CRef) Medical University - Sofia (EASP) University of New York Tirana ENS European Distance and E-Learning Network Croatia Medical University - Sofia European Federation of Education Austria Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR) Croatian Rectors’ Conference Employers (EFEE) Donau-Universität Krems Ghent University European Language Council Fachhochschule Technikum Wien Hasselt University Cyprus European Patients’ Forum Graz University of Technology KU Leuven European Office of Cyprus European Public Health Alliance Medical University Innsbruck Maastricht University Open University of Cyprus European Social Work Research Association Medical University of Graz Czech Republic University of Duisburg-Essen Norway HIDRANATURA Brno University of Technology University of Goettingen CESSDA ERIC INNORMADRID Charles University University of Konstanz Inland Norway University of Applied OBREAL -Observatorio de las relaciones Czech Rectors Conference (CRC) University of Stuttgart Sciences Unión Europea América Latina Ramon Mendel University in Brno University of Tübingen Norwegian University of Life Sciences Llull University Škoda Auto University WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Norwegian University of Science and Rovira i Virgili University University of Economics Management Technology Unversidad Autonoma de Madrid University of Ostrava Universities Norway Universidad Carlos III de Madrid Greece University of Oslo Universidad CEU San Pablo Denmark National and Kapodistrian University of University of Stavanger Universidad de Alicante Aalborg University Athens VID Specialized University Universidad de Córdoba Aarhus University Hungary Universidad de Deusto Technical University of Denmark Poland ÉSZT Universidad de La Rioja Universities Denmark Adam Mickiewicz University Budapest University of Technology and Universidad de León University of Copenhagen AGH University of Science and Technology Economics Universidad de Oviedo University of Southern Denmark Conference of Rectors of Academic Eötvös Loránd University Universidad de Salamanca VIA University College Schools University of Debrecen Universidad del País Vasco Cracow University of Economics Estonia Universidad de Vigo Iceland Gdańsk University of Technology Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) Universidad de Zaragoza Centre for Research in the Humanities Jagiellonian University Universities Estonia Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena University of Iceland Kazimierz Pulaski University of University of Tartu Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Technology and Humanities Ireland Universidad Publica de Navarra Finland Lodz University of Technology Dublin City University Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Aalto University Medical University of Gdańsk Irish Division (IADR) Universitat de Barcelona Åbo Akademi University Medical University of Silesia Irish Universities Association Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Akava Military University of Technology IT Sligo Catalunya FIMM Poznan University of Technology Technological Higher Education Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Finnish Education Employers Silesian University of Technology Association Universitat Politecnica de Valencia LUT University SWPS University of Social Science and Technological University Dublin Universitat Pompeu Fabra University of Turku Humanities Trinity College Dublin University of Cantabria Tampere University University of Agriculture University of Girona Tekniikan akateemiset TEK Israël University of Opole University of La Laguna Universities Finland Technion - Israel Institute of Technology University of Warsaw University of Eastern Finland Italy University of Wroclaw Sweden University of Helsinki Agency for the promotion of European University School of Physical Education Association of Swedish Higher Education Warsaw University of Technology Institutions (SUHF) France Research West Pomeranian University of Chalmers University of Technology ADBU Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Technology Dalarna University Artelittera Bologna Wroclaw University of Economica Ersta Sköndal Bräcke Centre de Recherche de l’Institut Curie Conferenza dei Rettori delle Università Halmstad University ComUE Université Grenoble Alpes Italiane (CRUI) Portugal Karlstad University Conférence des présidents d’université LIUC Università Cattaneo Conselho Reitores das Universidades Karolinska Institutet (CPU) Politecnico di Milano Portuguesas Luleå University of Technology Grenoble INP Politecnico di Torino Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade Lund University Initiative for Science in Europe Università del Salento do Porto Malmö University INSA Lyon Università di Milano INESC TEC Royal Institute of Technology Sorbonne Université Università di Pavia Instituto de Cièncias Sociais-University of Södertörn University Université de Lorraine University of Trento Lisbon Sophiahemmet University Université de Paris Japan Instituto Superior Técnico Stockholm University Université de Poitiers International college of Technology ITQB NOVA Swedish Red Cross University College Université Paris-Saclay Universidade Nova de Lisboa Kosovo Umeå University Université Paris-Sud University of Algarve University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” University of Gothenburg Université Paul-Valéry University of Aveiro University of Högskolan Väst Kazakhstan University of Coimbra Georgia Kazakh National Agrarian University Uppsala University Tbilisi Open University Romania Örebro University Latvia Federatia Sindicatelor Lucratorilor din Germany Association of Latvian Young Scientists Cercetare Proiectare din Romania Switzerland Bavarian Research Alliance Rīga Stradiņš University Politehnica University of Bucharest HES-SO Bielefeld University Riga Technical University Université de Genève Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Slovakia University of Zurich Comenius University Europa-Universität Flensburg Lithuania University of Bern Pavol Jozef Šafárik University Freie Universität Berlin National Universities Rectors conference Zurich University of the Arts Kaunas University of Technology Slovak Rectors’ Conference German Council of University Faculties in Turkey Slovak University of Agriculture Engineering and Informatics Moldova Middle East Technical University Slovak University of Technology Hamburg University of Technology Technical University of Moldova Technical University of Kosice Hochschule Trier Ukraine University of Presov National Technical University Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin The Netherlands Cities Northern Netherlands EU Office University of Žilina (UNIZA) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology United Kindgom Delft University of Technology LMU München Slovenia Imperial College London Maastricht University PER-IADR Slovenian Rectors’ Conference London Higher Europe Neth-ER Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität University of Ljubljana Swansea University Netherlands Federation of University Bonn University of Nova Gorica Universities UK Medical Centers Universiteit Utrecht RWTH Aachen University University of Primorska University College London Universities of Applied Sciences Technische Universität Berlin University of Edinburgh Netherlands Spain Technischen Universität Darmstadt University of Essex University of Amsterdam Campus de Excelencia Internacional Technische Universität Dresden University of Oxford University of Groningen Agroalimentario TU Dortmund University University of Surrey University of Twente Center for genomic regulation Universität Münster University of Warwick Crue Universidades Españolas Universität Bremen Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam DIRS University of Deusto (UD) University of applied Sciences Munich VSNU

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