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 Students’ Union Uniko Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie All European Academies European University Institute Österreichische Fachhochschul-Konferenz Bulgaria Association for Teacher Education in Europe European Women Rectors Association UAS4EUROPE Medical University CESSDA ERIC Eurotech Universities University of Vienna Ecsite Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) Virology MUI Technical University of Varna EU-LIFE Science Europe Belgium Croatia EURASHE Young Academy of Europe Conseil des recteurs (CRef) Croatian Rectors’ Conference Eurodoc Albania ENS Eurocadres Cyprus University of New York Tirana Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR) European Association of Social Psychology European Office of Cyprus Ghent University (EASP) Austria Open University of Cyprus Hasselt University European Distance and E-Learning Network Donau-Universität Krems KU Leuven Czech Republic European Federation of Education Fachhochschule Technikum Wien Maastricht University Brno University of Technology Employers (EFEE) Graz University of Technology Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) Charles University European Language Council Medical University Innsbruck UNA Europa Czech Rectors Conference (CRC) European Patients’ Forum Medical University of Graz Universiteit Antwerpen Mendel University in Brno European Public Health Alliance Medical University of Vienna Université catholique de Louvain Škoda Auto University European Social Work Research Association Österreichische Fachhochschul-Konferenz Université Saint-Louis University of Economics European Society of Comparative Literature Österreichische Universitätenkonferenz University of Ostrava Denmark Athens Sciences INNORMADRID Aalborg University Hungary Norwegian University of Life Sciences OBREAL Aarhus University Budapest University of Technology and Norwegian University of Science and Ramon Llull University Technical University of Denmark Economics Technology Rovira i Virgili University Universities Denmark Eötvös Loránd University Universities Norway Unversidad Autonoma de Madrid University of Copenhagen ÉSZT University of Oslo Universidad Carlos III de Madrid University of Southern Denmark Hungarian Rectors’ Conference University of Stavanger Universidad CEU San Pablo VIA University College University of Debrecen VID Specialized University Universidad de Alicante Universidad de Córdoba Estonia Poland Iceland Universidad de Deusto Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) Adam Mickiewicz University Centre for Research in the Humanities Universidad de La Rioja Universities Estonia AGH University of Science and Technology Icelandic Rectors´ Conference Universidad de León University of Tartu Conference of Rectors of Academic University of Iceland Universidad de Oviedo Schools Finland Universidad de Salamanca Ireland Cracow University of Economics Aalto University Universidad de Vigo Dublin City University Gdańsk University of Technology Åbo Akademi University Universidad de Zaragoza Irish Division (IADR) Jagiellonian University Akava Universidad del País Vasco Irish Universities Association Kazimierz Pulaski University of FIMM Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena IT Sligo Technology and Humanities Finnish Education Employers Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Technological Higher Education Lodz University of Technology Insinööriliitto Universidad Publica de Navarra Association Medical University of Gdańsk LUT University Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Technological University Dublin Medical University of Silesia Tampere University Universitat de Barcelona Trinity College Dublin Military University of Technology Tekniikan akateemiset TEK Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Poznań University of Technology Universities Finland Israël Catalunya Silesian University of Technology University of Eastern Finland Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Universitat Oberta de Catalunya SWPS University of Social Science and University of Helsinki Universitat Politecnica de Valencia Italy Humanities University of Turku Universitat Pompeu Fabra Agency for the promotion of European University of Agriculture University of Cantabria France Research University of Opole University of Girona Artelittera Alma Mater Studiorum-University of University of Warsaw University of La Laguna Centre de Recherche de l’Institut Curie Bologna University of Wroclaw ComUE Université Grenoble Alpes Conferenza dei Rettori delle Università University School of Physical Education Sweden Conférence des présidents d’université (CPU) Italiane (CRUI) Warsaw University of Technology Association of Swedish Higher Education Grenoble INP LIUC Università Cattaneo West Pomeranian University of Institutions (SUHF) Initiative for Science in Europe Politecnico di Milano Technology Chalmers University of Technology INSA Lyon Politecnico di Torino Wroclaw University of Economics Dalarna University Sorbonne Université Università del Salento Ersta Sköndal Bräcke Università di Milano Portugal Université de Lorraine Conselho Reitores das Universidades Halmstad University Università di Pavia Université de Paris Portuguesas Karlstad University University of Trento Université de Poitiers Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade Karolinska Institutet Université Paris-Saclay Japan do Porto Linnaeus University Université Paris-Sud International college of Technology INESC TEC Luleå University of Technology Université Paul-Valéry Kazakhstan Instituto de Cièncias Sociais-University of Lund University Malmö University Georgia Kazakh National Agrarian University Lisbon Instituto Superior Técnico Örebro University Tbilisi Open University Kosovo ITQB NOVA Royal Institute of Technology Germany University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” Universidade Nova de Lisboa Södertörn University Bavarian Research Alliance Latvia University of Algarve Sophiahemmet University Bielefeld University Association of Latvian Young Scientists University of Aveiro Stockholm University Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Council of Rectors of Latvia University of Coimbra Swedish Red Cross University College Umeå University Europa-Universität Flensburg Rīga Stradiņš University Romania University of Gothenburg Freie Universität Berlin Riga Technical University Federatia Sindicatelor Lucratorilor din University of Högskolan Väst German Council of University Faculties in Cercetare Proiectare din Romania Engineering and Informatics Lithuania Uppsala University Kaunas University of Technology Politehnica University of Bucharest German Rectors Conference Switzerland Hamburg University of Technology National Universities Rectors