European Commission intends to increase by €50 bn investment in R&D procurement

The European Commission has presented its European Innovation Act, intending to increase by €50 bn investment in research and development procurement.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Start-ups and R&I, presented the Commission's proposal for the European Innovation Act and a proposal for a Council recommendation on regulatory sandboxes on 09/09/2026.

Public authorities across the EU face challenges that require innovative solutions, many of which do not yet exist, and public procurement can help drive the development of these solutions by leveraging substantial public funding.

"Every year, EU public authorities spend around €2 trillion on procurement, with only 0.6% for R&D. In the US, the federal government spends 7.5% on R&D; in South Korea, it's 5%," Zaharieva said.

Therefore…