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Europe: CDEFI Calls for a renewed political ambition for education, research and innovation
Europe: CDEFI Calls for a renewed political ambition for education, research and innovation
27/05/2026
As the European Union defines its budgetary priorities for the 2028–2034 period, the French Engineering Schools Directors’ Conference (CDEFI) is calling for a renewed political ambition in education, research and innovation, which lie at the heart of European competitiveness. CDEFI reaffirms its strong European commitment and publishes a series of major proposals concerning the future of Erasmus+, European university alliances, and the future FP10 research and innovation framework programme, in coordination with the European Competitiveness Fund, with the aim of strengthening the European Union’s technological sovereignty and innovation capacity.
Through these positions, CDEFI delivers a clear message: Europe’s ability to maintain its place in global competition will depend directly on the level of political and budgetary ambition it sets for itself in the years ahead. In a context of rapid geopolitical, industrial, technological and climate transformations, strengthening both the resources and coherence of European policies is becoming decisive.
Educating, researching, innovating: one single european strategy
For CDEFI, European education, research and innovation policies can no longer be designed in silos. Together, they form the foundation of Europe’s scientific, technological and industrial sovereignty, and can no longer be considered separately.
Engineering schools are at the core of this dynamic: they educate talent, contribute to scientific production, and actively participate in innovation and industrial transformation. Their role calls for a coherent European framework and adequate resources.
Scaling up budgets: a political imperative
CDEFI advocates for a significant and coherent strengthening of European instruments.
Erasmus+ must fully embrace its strategic role in developing scientific and technological skills, by supporting the growing scale of European needs. This requires:
Through these positions, CDEFI delivers a clear message: Europe’s ability to maintain its place in global competition will depend directly on the level of political and budgetary ambition it sets for itself in the years ahead. In a context of rapid geopolitical, industrial, technological and climate transformations, strengthening both the resources and coherence of European policies is becoming decisive.
Educating, researching, innovating: one single european strategy
For CDEFI, European education, research and innovation policies can no longer be designed in silos. Together, they form the foundation of Europe’s scientific, technological and industrial sovereignty, and can no longer be considered separately.
Engineering schools are at the core of this dynamic: they educate talent, contribute to scientific production, and actively participate in innovation and industrial transformation. Their role calls for a coherent European framework and adequate resources.
Scaling up budgets: a political imperative
CDEFI advocates for a significant and coherent strengthening of European instruments.
Erasmus+ must fully embrace its strategic role in developing scientific and technological skills, by supporting the growing scale of European needs. This requires:
- a substantial increase in its budget,
- greater visibility for funding dedicated to higher education,
- stronger support for long-term mobility integrated into curricula and for excellence programmes such as Erasmus Mundus.
Without a substantial budgetary scale-up, Erasmus+ will not be able to meet the growing demand for Europe’s strategic skills development.
The future FP10 programme must match Europe’s ambitions: CDEFI calls for a budget of at least €200 billion to prevent a lasting technological gap with the world’s major powers. The programme must support scientific excellence while bridging the “valley of death” in innovation, particularly for intermediate Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs 4 to 7).
The European Competitiveness Fund should be clearly articulated with FP10 in order to effectively support industrial scaling-up, in complementarity with academic research.
European alliances: a test of the Union’s credibility
European university alliances represent one of the most structuring initiatives of the European project. To ensure their full success, CDEFI highlights the importance of consolidating their operating framework by:
The future FP10 programme must match Europe’s ambitions: CDEFI calls for a budget of at least €200 billion to prevent a lasting technological gap with the world’s major powers. The programme must support scientific excellence while bridging the “valley of death” in innovation, particularly for intermediate Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs 4 to 7).
The European Competitiveness Fund should be clearly articulated with FP10 in order to effectively support industrial scaling-up, in complementarity with academic research.
European alliances: a test of the Union’s credibility
European university alliances represent one of the most structuring initiatives of the European project. To ensure their full success, CDEFI highlights the importance of consolidating their operating framework by:
- clarifying their legal status at European level,
- ensuring stable, multiannual funding,
- recognising and stabilising the teams involved,
- and strengthening systems interoperability to support the development of European degrees and facilitate mobility.
Consolidating these alliances is a key challenge for embedding this initiative sustainably within the European landscape. This consolidation must also be accompanied by guarantees of openness, allowing their scope to evolve over time.
An ambitious Europe cannot be a closed Europe
CDEFI reaffirms its commitment to a European model based on openness and diversity in cooperation. It is essential to guarantee fair access to European funding for all institutions, whether or not they are members of alliances.
CDEFI therefore supports the development of flexible forms of cooperation involving different formats (alliances, sectoral partnerships, thematic networks), in order to reflect the richness and diversity of European higher education.
A defining moment for Europe’s future
The current period represents a decisive stage for the future of the European project. In this context, CDEFI calls for strengthening European ambition in higher education, research and innovation, in line with the challenges of competitiveness, sovereignty and transition.
CDEFI reaffirms its commitment to actively contribute to this dynamic by promoting a demanding, coherent and forward-looking vision.
The choices made in the coming months will determine Europe’s ability to remain a leading scientific, technological and industrial power.
An ambitious Europe cannot be a closed Europe
CDEFI reaffirms its commitment to a European model based on openness and diversity in cooperation. It is essential to guarantee fair access to European funding for all institutions, whether or not they are members of alliances.
CDEFI therefore supports the development of flexible forms of cooperation involving different formats (alliances, sectoral partnerships, thematic networks), in order to reflect the richness and diversity of European higher education.
A defining moment for Europe’s future
The current period represents a decisive stage for the future of the European project. In this context, CDEFI calls for strengthening European ambition in higher education, research and innovation, in line with the challenges of competitiveness, sovereignty and transition.
CDEFI reaffirms its commitment to actively contribute to this dynamic by promoting a demanding, coherent and forward-looking vision.
The choices made in the coming months will determine Europe’s ability to remain a leading scientific, technological and industrial power.
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The Conference of Deans of French Schools of Engineering (CDEFI) is a non-profit association of Deans of French state and private Schools of Engineering and universities of technology authorised by the CTI (a French accreditation agency) to deliver the French Engineering degree.
Created in 1976 by a decree issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, CDEFI is the local, national and international political and public voice of French Schools of Engineering and universities of technology.
CONTACT US :
CDEFI
44 rue Cambronne
75015 Paris - FRANCE
44 rue Cambronne
75015 Paris - FRANCE
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