R&I Days 2025: "We have everything, so we need to be more ambitious" (E. Zaharieva)

"We have everything, so we need to be more ambitious: the most talented people, the best education in the world, a bigger market than the U.S, and the best quality of life. We should stop thinking too nationally and instead recognise that we are stronger when united. Our only chance to be competitive and truly at the table is to complete the single market", states Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Start-ups and R&I, during the opening panel of the R&I days, taking place in Brussels from 16 to 17/09/2025.

"With moonshots [R&I projects on key sectors proposed for the next Horizon Europe programme], we want to show we should use the centrally managed programme for the big projects that can truly bring us into the future. We should be bolder and lead the race, not just try to catch up with others", she emphasises.

For Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Austrian Minister for Women, Science and Research, "as a Member State, we also have to do our homework. I could be satisfied that Austria is one of the few Member States that outperforms the 3% target of investment of the GDP in R&I. However…