11 Mar 2026
European Parliament calls to strengthen private sector involvement in EU R&I ecosystem
On 10 March 2026, the European Parliament approved a resolution on the upcoming legislative act for the European Research Area, calling for greater private sector involvement in the EU’s research and innovation system. The text was adopted with 399 votes in favour, 78 against and 69 abstentions.
MEPs are urging measures to boost private participation in research and innovation through closer coordination between stakeholders and an expanded use of public–private partnerships.
The Parliament also wants the future ERA Act to anchor the EU objective of investing at least 3% of the Union’s GDP in research and development by 2030. This target would be supported by national goals for total R&D spending. Member States are called on to draw up roadmaps and targets to better coordinate R&D investments and ensure that public and private funding reinforce each other rather than overlap.
The Commission proposal on the ERA Act is to be presented by September 2026.
The resolution can be downloaded here: