Publications – Statements

Statement | 5 December 2022

Ahead of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Summit, research and innovation organisations voice concerns regarding the Intellectual Property (IP) provisions for EIC-funded Transition and Pathfinder projects. As they currently stand, the provisions create serious obstacles to the knowledge valorisation services undertaken by research-performing organisations. This poses serious threats to the exploitation of research outcomes.

Statement | 7 July 2022

Published on 5 July, the New European Innovation Agenda puts forward a number of key actions to develop the innovation ecosystems in Europe. By putting emphasis on deep tech, the Agenda misses to embrace all types of innovation and neglects the crucial role of some actors, including universities, in developing these ecosystems.

Statement | 20 June 2022

Contributing to MEP Christian Ehler’s report on the implementation of the European Innovation Council (EIC), The Guild calls for the EIC to better recognise the role of universities’ technology transfer offices as key actors in the emergence of breakthrough innovations.

Statement | 24 May 2022

The Guild expresses concerns about the provisions in the Horizon Europe grant agreement that give ‘EIC inventors’ indefinite royalty-free access rights. Ensuring that universities across Europe have well-functioning knowledge and technology transfer offices would be a better approach to maximise the exploitation of research results.

Statement | 17 May 2022

Ahead of the June Competitiveness Council, where the ministers will be invited to adopt conclusions on research assessment and implementation of Open Science policies, The Guild urges the member states to ensure that Open Access serves science, not publishers.

Statement | 4 May 2022

The Guild welcomes the publication, on Tuesday 3rd May, of the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on the European Health Data Space (EHDS).

Statement | 27 April 2022

The German U15, The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, and Udice emphasise the necessity to strengthen international cooperation in research to meet global challenges.

Statement | 8 April 2022

The Guild welcomes the Council conclusions on a European strategy empowering higher education institutions for the future of Europe.

Statement | 28 March 2022

The Guild urges the member states and the European Commission to address critical obstacles that researchers are facing when conducting multinational clinical trials, particularly regarding the sharing and reuse of health data.

Statement | 21 March 2022

The Guild issues a set of recommendations for concrete support measures to help staff and students from Ukraine, urging the European Commission, the French Presidency of the Council, and the national governments to support universities effectively and flexibly.

Statement | 8 March 2022

The Guild suggests definitions of key terms to support universities in achieving more diversity, equity and inclusion.

Statement | 28 February 2022

The Guild voices its concerns on the Commission’s proposal for a Data Act, urging fair access to privately held data for research purposes.

Statement | 25 February 2022

The Guild calls on Europe’s governments, and the EU, to enable our universities to support Ukrainian students and staff on our campuses, and through the provision of distance education where needed.

Statement | 16 February 2022

Through the proposed AU-EU Innovation Agenda, announced on 14 February ahead of the AU-EU summit, universities are assuming a central place in the development of AU-EU relations.

Statement | 25 January 2022

At the start of the new Erasmus+ programme (2021-2027), universities are struggling to meet the mobility expectations of their students. Although the programme promised to be more inclusive and accessible, the actual level of funding universities received in 2021 for Key Action 1 remained at the level of 2018 funding.

Statement | 20 January 2022

The Guild welcomes the Strategy as a framework which recognizes the rich potential and contribution of Europe’s universities to our society through research, education and innovation. Although there is much to welcome, there is a genuine question whether the strategy is visionary enough.

Statement | 13 January 2022

The application process for Horizon Europe calls requires further clarity while a more stable and user-friendly submission platform is needed, researchers and research support officers from The Guild universities highlight.

Statement | 7 January 2022

The Guild calls for university grant and financial managers to be included in any further evaluations of Horizon lump sum funding.

Statement | 17 December 2021

The African Research Universities Alliance and The Guild emphasise the critical importance of strengthening African research universities in a wholistic way, calling to action the AU and EU, national governments, public science bodies, and universities and their communities themselves.

Statement | 14 December 2021

The Guild voices its concerns on the burdens the European Commission’s proposal for an Artificial Intelligence Act may impose on research and researchers and calls for the Commission to involve researchers in the future monitoring and amendment processes of the Act.

Statement | 25 November 2021

The Guild calls for the new European Research Area to develop and implement a holistic vision to strengthen and deepen excellence in less R&I performing (Widening) countries.

Statement | 4 November 2021

The European Union’s research and innovation community calls for the European Commission and President Ursula von der Leyen to finalise the United Kingdom’s association to Horizon Europe immediately.

Statement | 22 October 2021

The Guild calls for dedicated funding streams for knowledge transfer activities, and capacity-building measures to enhance the capacities of researchers and technology transfer offices to innovate.

Statement | 17 June 2021

As a core principle of the EU, academic freedom must be protected vigorously and decisively by the Commission and all EU institutions. The Guild urges for the creation of a European Ombudsperson for the defence and support of academic freedom.

Statement | 25 May 2021

Collaboration within the European Universities initiative needs to grow bottom-up, based on the alliances’ distinctive strategies. Innovation and originality can flourish only by developing new practices in universities and overcoming national obstacles.

Statement | 27 April 2021

The Guild considers it critical that the Pact for Research and Innovation will prominently address the key question that ERA was founded on: how to strengthen Europe’s research capacity.

Statement | 9 December 2020

The Guild calls for an urgent funding boost to the Excellence Science Pillar of Horizon Europe in order to achieve a balanced resourcing of the three pillars of the programme.

Statement | 30 October 2020

The Guild voices its concern that ending ERDF support to universities’ research capacities undermines the goal of reducing the research and innovation divide in Europe.

Statement | 1 October 2020

The Guild considers that the visions for the European Research and Education Areas published by the European Commission represent an important opening for a dialogue on common priorities and their implementation.

Statement | 11 September 2020

The coming weeks will decide the direction of the EU’s research and innovation policy for the coming seven years. As the global pandemic has brought societies and economies nearly to a standstill in the past six months, it has become clear that researchers are at the forefront of Europe’s ability to overcome the pandemic and orient our societal development towards the future.

Statement | 24 July 2020

As a world-leading mathematician, and through his deep understanding of subjects right across the disciplinary spectrum, Prof. Bourguignon enjoys the deep trust of the scientific community. As ERC President, Prof. Bourguignon has been an outstanding leader of Europe’s pre-eminent research council, recognised as Europe’s spokesperson on behalf of frontier-led science.

Statement | 22 July 2020

The Guild welcomes the European Council compromise on the next Multiannual Financial Framework and Next Generation EU. It now calls on the European Parliament to focus on improvements in spending on Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, which are critical in ensuring that the EU can become more resilient in addressing its future challenges.

Statement | 7 July 2020

The Guild reissues its call for the European Research Area (ERA) to focus on strengthening the production of new knowledge through academic research.

Statement | 28 May 2020

The Guild urges the Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament to increase their commitment to research, education and innovation in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and ensure a timely start for 2021.

Statement | 8 April 2020

The Guild expresses its full support to the European Research Council (ERC), following its request made on 27 March for Prof. Mauro Ferrari to resign as President of the ERC.

Statement | 18 February 2020

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild) call upon the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) leaders to support an ambitious new initiative for Africa’s universities to address the profound demographic, social and environmental changes facing both continents.

Statement | 25 September 2019

The Guild publishes recommendations on European education policies for members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education.

Statement | 19 September 2019

The Guild publishes recommendations on European research and education policies for ITRE Committee members.

Statement | 18 September 2019

The Guild publishes recommendations on European research and education policies ahead of the commissioner candidate hearings.

Statement | 25 March 2019

As the terms of the UK’s departure from the EU and the framework of their future relationship are contested and finalised, the Guild urges that a strong relationship between the two must be secured to sustain Europe’s outstanding strength in research, innovation and education.

Statement | 5 November 2018

The Guild affirms the key priorities that should be addressed as part of the ongoing legislative work leading to the establishment of the EU’s new framework programme for research and innovation.

Statement | 12 June 2018

Research, education and innovation must be at the core of the EU’s future vision. Hence, we welcome Horizon Europe’s new approaches. However, Europe’s global position in science and innovation requires a much higher level of ambition, read our recommendations here.

Statement | 19 April 2018

FP9 must empower researchers to fulfil their potential and contribute to evidence-based policies on social cohesion, education, intercultural communication, democratic participation, and developing a fair and sustainable economy in the context of globalisation. The Framework Programme must contribute to a deeper understanding of the effects of disruptive innovation, and transformation based on expertise in all STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Medicine), to strengthen our societies, cultures, institutions, and economies.

Statement | 13 November 2017

The success of European universities depends on their ability to circulate ideas freely, through their researchers, students, and alumni. This must not be affected adversely by Brexit.

Statement | 18 July 2017

In its response to the High-Level Group report on the future of EU research and innovation, the Guild welcomes the proposal to double the budget for the next Framework Programme. However, the Guild stresses that investing in research, innovation, and education is not only economically sound, it also strengthens Europe’s public life, and preserves its social and cultural welfare.

Statement | 16 June 2017

The Guild endorses the European Commission’s latest proposals to further strengthen European higher education, built on a recognition that effective education systems are the foundation of open, fair and democratic societies.

Statement | 18 May 2017

The Guild welcomes the opportunity to respond to a proposed agenda for the modernization of Higher Education.