Magazine

A few months ago, the ERC brought together scientific pioneers and business leaders to discuss how research can strengthen Europe’s position in the global economy. As Nobel laureate Ben Feringa put it: ‘Scientific breakthroughs, real innovation, and building a sustainable society start at the bottom - with creativity, imagination, and excellent basic research.’     

This edition of the ERC Magazine further explores the vital connection between frontier research and industrial innovation – Europe's competitive lifeline.  

Industry leader Jean-François van Boxmeer explains why businesses support public investment in fundamental research. Polish Deputy-Minister Andrzej Szeptycki calls for openness, cooperation, and smarter funding, while ERC President Maria Leptin argues that independent, high-quality science is the bedrock of European innovation. 

Data from a recent ERC report, visualised in an infographic, shows how a modest 1% of the ERC budget - through Proof of Concept (PoC) grants - has helped turn over 1 700 science-based ideas into real-world solutions in health, technology, and sustainability.  

Stories such as Jeremy O’Brien’s work in quantum computing and Luis Serrano Pubul’s advances in AI-designed medicines, both ERC grantees, show that Europe’s competitive future begins in its research labs, where new discoveries spark tomorrow’s innovations.