ERC at European Research and Innovation Days 2026
The ERC will be present in the seventh edition of the European Research & Innovation (R&I) Days 2026 taking place in Brussels. This flagship event of the European Commission will bring together policymakers, researchers, innovators, business leaders and representatives of civil society to debate how research and innovation can strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and technological sovereignty.
ERC session
10 November, 17.00-18.00 | Connecting science and society: Insights from the European Research Council’s 2026 Public Engagement Award winners
The ERC will celebrate the eight winners of its 2026 Public Engagement with Research Award at a special session during European Research and Innovation Days.
From music and cardiovascular health to climate-adaptive forests, tickling and neuroscience, women’s rights, the human microbiome, artificial intelligence in healthcare, platform workers and theatre, the winning projects demonstrate the many ways researchers can open up their work to society.
In a dialogue with the 2026 Public Engagement with Research Award winners, hear what they have tried, what they have learnt and what makes public engagement work.
The discussion will be moderated by Luke O’Neill, member of the ERC Scientific Council and Professor of Biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin, and Mirko Bischofberger, founder of Science Studios.
Read more about the eight winning projects in the ERC press release.
Join us online to celebrate the eight PERA winners and hear their stories. The link will be available on the R&I Days platform, where you can also explore the full programme and attend other sessions.
ERC stand
10 November, 12.00-18.00
Participants can visit the ERC stand to learn how ERC frontier research supports policymaking and to discover biotechnology frontier research, from discovery to innovation.
ERC Speakers
11 November, 13:30-14:30 | Gender equality as catalyst for competitiveness.
Conny Aerts, member of the ERC Scientific Council, will join the discussion on gender equality in research and innovation and what it could mean for Europe’s competitiveness.
Europe’s competitiveness and resilience depend on making full use of its talent, skills and ideas. Yet women remain significantly underrepresented at key stages of the research and innovation pipeline. This session will explore where the most persistent barriers lie and what it will take to remove them. The discussion will also look ahead to the forthcoming Action Plan on Women in Research, Innovation and Startups and examine how the next Horizon Europe programme can help create a more inclusive research and innovation ecosystem.
The session will be moderated by journalist Dave Keating and will also feature Lina Gálvez Muñoz, Member of the European Parliament; António Campinos, President of the European Patent Office; Marcela Linková, Head of the National Centre for Gender & Science and of the ERA subgroup on gender equality and inclusiveness.
