The Guild proposes moonshots that align technological progress with societal well-being

The Guild of research-intensive universities has proposed four moonshots as substitutes for the European Commission’s, which it views as being restricted to technological and scientific transformation.

In its proposal for Horizon Europe 2028-2034, presented in July 2025, the European Commission introduced the moonshots, research programmes aiming to push back the frontiers of science and innovation in areas such as the future circular collider, clean aviation, quantum computing, etc. They could be funded by Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF).

The universities association said, in a position paper published on 27/11/2025: "If the EU wants to articulate an exciting vision for future progress through R&I, it cannot reduce this to moonshots that seek to achieve technological and scientific transformation only. Europe will also need R&I ambitions that reach deep into society, to ensure technological progress is aligned with societal welfare".

The four recommended moonshots are: ethical global leadership for climate resilience and competitive economies; building…