"The Competitiveness Fund would be positive, unless it's limited to purely industrialisation" (M. Attané)

"We're just starting to discuss whether we should have a European industrial policy. Europe has begun to move in this direction with the Chip Act and the Defence Programme, and if it continues in this direction with the Competitiveness Fund, that would be positive - unless it is limited to purely industrial programmes and industrialisation. In that case, we won't be doing any RD&I and we'll have missed the boat", states Muriel Attané, Secretary General of Earto, on 01/07/2027.

She speaks to News Tank about the current challenges facing RTOs, as well as the form the European Commission is expected to propose for the next European R&I policies under the MFF, to be presented on 16/07/2025.

According to her, "academics are too focused on the ERC. But it is marginal, it's a small budget. In the Framework Programme, applied research accounts for 60% of the budget. So if this 60% is reallocated to manufacturing subsidies, it means that we will no longer have any RD&I programmes".

Earto's recommendations for improving European competitiveness are the inclusion of an RD&I pillar in each Act of…