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INESC Brussels HUB Summer Meeting 2025- Final Event Policy Report

Policy Report

A summary report capturing the key discussions, findings and follow-up actions from the INESC Brussels HUB’s 2026 Summer Meeting on European research infrastructure priorities.

Executive summary

The final report of the 2025 INESC Brussels HUB Summer Meeting captures the key proceedings, themes, and takeaways from this high-level event, held in Brussels on June 25–26, 2025, both in person and online. The meeting generated strong momentum, bringing together high-level speakers and over 200 in-person participants to address one of Europe’s most urgent strategic challenges: how to develop a coherent and forward-looking research and innovation (R&I) system capable of safeguarding European sovereignty amid growing geopolitical and technological uncertainties.

Key takeaways

  • Europe needs a coherent, mission-oriented R&I framework that aligns FP10, EDF, Digital Europe and national instruments around shared strategic goals.
  • Research Performing Organisations should be recognised as strategic actors and system integrators in Europe's dual-use and defence innovation ecosystem.
  • Dual use should be built in "by design" from the earliest stages of research, supported by clearer rules on procurement, export controls and ethics.
  • FP10 should be an ambitious redesign, informed by permanent foresight capabilities and new governance models such as "super-integrators".
  • Knowledge security needs a harmonised EU framework that protects critical technologies while keeping science open and research free.

Authors & download

Authors: INESC Brussels HUB policy team
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Last reviewed / validation

17/08/2026