BEYOND PARTICIPATION:
Empowering Widening Countries in FP10 for a Stronger, More Competitive Europe
A Science|Business Widening roundtable
26 June 2025 | Brussels
INESC Brussels HUB co-hosted a strategic roundtable titled “Beyond Participation: Empowering Widening Countries in FP10 for a Stronger, More Competitive Europe.”
Organised in the context of the Science|Business Widening Initiative Group, this high-level meeting convened senior representatives from universities, research offices, EU policy networks, and national R&I institutions across Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe.
Participants engaged in a closed-door policy exchange on:
Institutional barriers and structural asymmetries affecting Widening countries
The role of capacity-building in improving access to competitive funding instruments
Incentivising excellence through inclusive consortia and balanced coordination models
Metrics, KPIs, and funding mechanisms needed to unlock long-term convergence
Opportunities for strengthening alignment between national strategies and EU-level goals
