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Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research

CESAER

CESAER is an international association of leading universities with a strong science and technology profile.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer and

28 Jan 2026 · Stakeholder dialogue on establishing the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2028-2034

CESAER Urges EU to Shield Civilian Research Funding

20 Nov 2025
Topic — The initiative seeks to accelerate the development and industrial deployment of quantum technologies.
Message — The organization calls for a strictly civilian focus in main research programmes while using the defense fund for military tech. They propose a significant budget increase and a new council to boost industrial competitiveness.123
Why — Increased funding and protected academic autonomy would help universities lead Europe's quantum technology development.4
Impact — International researchers and scientific collaboration would suffer if civilian and military funding streams merged.5
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Meeting with Vanessa Debiais-Sainton (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu)

7 Nov 2025 · Exchange on the investment pathway for European Universities alliances in the next MFF

Meeting with Signe Ratso (Deputy Director-General Research and Innovation)

28 Oct 2025 · Exchange of views on the proposal for the next Horizon Europe and on research security.

Response to European Innovation Act

3 Oct 2025

On behalf of CESAER, the association of more than 50 leading universities of science and technology across Europe, I am pleased to submit our input to the consultation on the European Innovation Act. We have chosen to provide our contribution in the form of an attached input note. This document sets out the views and proposals of our association, drawing on the daily experiences of our Members as key actors in Europes innovation ecosystems. It builds on a series of position papers and reports adopted by CESAER in recent years and reflects the collective expertise of more than 50 universities of science and technology in driving deep tech, entrepreneurial education, and research-based innovation. The input note addresses barriers and opportunities across regulation, finance, infrastructures, procurement, talent, commercialisation, and policy coordination, and presents concrete proposals for EU action. It also provides case studies from our Members showcasing how universities of science and technology are driving innovation, testing new approaches, and delivering impact across Europe.
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Response to European Research Area (ERA) Act

9 Sept 2025

Please find CESAER's input to the ERA Act call for evidence attached.
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Meeting with Lucilla Sioli (Director Communications Networks, Content and Technology) and

9 Jul 2025 · Exchange between AI Office and representatives from the Guild, CESAER, EUA, Coimbra Group and YERUN

CESAER Urges Researcher-Led Model for European AI Development

1 Jul 2025
Topic — The consultation addresses EU legislative plans to expand cloud and AI infrastructure capacity across the continent.
Message — The association calls for a European model that puts researchers and universities in control of AI development. They seek stable funding and clear legal guidance on how research exemptions in the AI Act apply to academic publishing.12
Why — This strategy would secure substantial new public investments for university-led research and infrastructure projects.3
Impact — Commercial cloud providers could see their market influence reduced by new state-funded infrastructure requirements.4
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CESAER Urges EU Legislation to Secure Open Science and Research

30 May 2025
Topic — The consultation seeks a comprehensive policy approach for AI adoption in European science.
Message — CESAER asks the EU for legislation giving researchers the right to share findings openly. They demand that member states reach the long-agreed target of spending three percent on research. Finally, they urge policymakers to provide resources to protect science from AI-generated fake content.123
Why — These measures would reduce the legal and financial barriers schools face when sharing knowledge.4
Impact — Commercial publishers would lose their ability to restrict access to scientific research data.5
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Response to European strategy on research and technology infrastructures

16 May 2025

The feedback from CESAER is attached. CESAER is currently working on a position paper on the topic of technology and research infrastructures, which is expected to be published in the near future.
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Meeting with Filip Van Depoele (Head of Unit Education, Youth, Sport and Culture) and European University Association and

4 Apr 2025 · Exchange of views on the future of the international dimension of the Erasmus+ Programme

Meeting with Kirsi Haavisto (Head of Unit Research and Innovation)

27 Feb 2025 · AI use in Tech Transfer

Meeting with Christian Ehler (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and European University Association and

27 Jan 2025 · FP10

Meeting with Christophe Galand (Head of Unit Budget) and European University Association and

23 Jan 2025 · Discussion on research place in the the future Multiannual Financial Framework

Meeting with Laurence Farreng (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

9 Jan 2025 · Futur des Alliances d'Universités européennes

Meeting with Laurence Farreng (Member of the European Parliament)

9 Jan 2025 · Erasmus + et Alliances d'universités européennes

Meeting with Christian Ehler (Member of the European Parliament) and Orgalim – Europe's Technology Industries and

4 Sept 2024 · Implementation of Horizon Europe

Response to Options for support for R&D of dual-use technologies

30 Apr 2024

The feedback from CESAER is attached and can also be found via the following public website: https://www.cesaer.org/news/strengthen-dual-use-technologies-by-enhancing-eu-defence-funding-1716/
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Meeting with Marc Lemaitre (Director-General Research and Innovation)

12 Feb 2024 · • next steps for the European Research Area • remainder of Horizon Europe • trajectory towards FP10

Response to Attractive and sustainable careers in higher education

2 Feb 2024

Our Members have submitted individual responses, and with the attached position, we complement these with overarching considerations and recommendations. This input note has been prepared with the intention to summarise and synthesise previous contributions from our association and to provide key considerations to help shape the design efforts towards a European framework for attractive and sustainable careers in higher education.
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Response to Enhancing research security in Europe

7 Dec 2023

CESAER has several recent publications with direct relevance to this topic which are publicly available via the following link: https://www.cesaer.org/news/keeping-science-open-current-challenges-in-the-day-to-day-reality-of-universities-1556/ For convenience, one example has been attached and several more directly relevant examples are available via the link above and the subheading 'related reading'.
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Response to Interim evaluation of the European Education Area

1 Sept 2023

The leading universities of Science and Technology (S&T) united within CESAER welcome the opportunity to provide input for the Call for Evidence on the European Education Area (EEA). Through this Call for Evidence, we provide feedback and recommendations on the relevance of strategic priorities of the EEA, the efficiency and effectiveness of the European Universities initiative as a key component in creating the EEA, and the coherence of an approach to the EEA that to allow for seamless continuation of our long-standing cooperation with universities across wider Europe. Recognising higher education institutions as key drivers to achieve the European Education Area, we welcome that strategic priority 4 Reinforcing European Higher Education was included in the Council Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030). We take note of the Council resolution of May 2023 which does not include European Higher Education as a particular focus. We, therefore, urge to include a similar emphasis on reinforcing European Higher Education in the priority areas for the second cycle of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training leading up to 2030. Building on our vision for the European Education Area, we recall that all efforts to establish the European Education Area must aim to (i) adopt the boldest ambitions; (ii) secure sufficient funding for education and training at all levels; (iii) enable students, learners and teachers to contribute to a sustainable future; and (iv) ensure mutual recognition of qualifications and learning outcomes from abroad becomes a reality and take stock of the progress made. We welcome the recent political developments aimed at shaping the European Education Area, and we commend the efforts invested by universities, the European Commission and member states to advance the European Strategy for Universities, in particular the European University initiative. The European University initiative is an ambitious and key component to realise the European Education Area. While the initial set-up phase is largely completed and universities are currently building new forms of transnational collaboration, we underline again that alliances will be only successful if underpinned by a programme-based, rather than project-based approach. The high ambitions of the initiative and the investment and creativity showcased by universities throughout Europe call now for renewed joint efforts from the European Commission and member states, in full respect of the subsidiarity principle, to clarify the next steps and to ensure a sustainable transition from the project setup to establishing its long-term sustainability. This includes matching funds to ambitions to ensure their viability and long-term efforts demanded from all stakeholders, including the European Commission, and safeguarding the long-term sustainability of the alliances by ensuring a balance between competitive and non-competitive funding on EU, national and regional levels. Only through long-term vision and funding efforts will the European Universities initiative display its full potential to realise the European Education Area and promote excellence, enhance mobility and interdisciplinarity, and allow institutional development of higher education institutions. We also recall that, in order to support efforts towards the digital transition, more consideration should be given to how to ensure the highest pedagogical and educational quality, as well as achieve desired learning outcomes when learning and teaching online. Finally, we urge the EU institutions to shape the EEA to allow for seamless continuation of our long-standing cooperation with universities across wider Europe, particularly in Israel, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. We attach here previous key positions in this area.
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Response to Boosting European learning mobility for all

2 May 2023

The leading universities of Science and Technology (S&T) united within CESAER welcome the opportunity to provide input for the public consultation Learning opportunities (learning mobility) abroad in Europe for everyone. Through this call for evidence, we provide explanations and recommendations, building on the experience in organizing mobility for higher education learners and staff of our 58 Member universities. We recommend the Commission foster and explore enabling policies, and actively identify and dismantle policies that limit universities in their pursuit to boost learning mobility, as elaborated in our vision for the European Education Area (2020). We invite the Commission to focus on facilitating mobility by encouraging member states to allow more flexibility for study programs, including for universities that wish to pursue increasing their offer of digital and blended mobility. In line with our call to boost research talent circulation, we reiterate our plea for including students, learners and teachers as bearers of knowledge when considering the treaty obligation (art.179 of TFEU) to ensure that scientific knowledge, researchers and technology circulate freely. In that regard, instead of providing narrowing recommendations around incoming and outgoing students, we should adopt an approach where the circulation of bearers of knowledge is boosted overall, through digital and in-person means. To fully seize the opportunities and address the challenges of digitalisation in education and training, we reiterate the need to pursue action along three lines: (i) focus on quality and learning outcomes; (ii) incentivise universities to integrate key technologies in education and training; and (iii) adopt a long-term and future-oriented approach to digital education and training. Additionally, we advocate promoting open access and public ownership of digital tools and solutions. We encourage and welcome the flexible options and solutions allowed by digital technologies, and we underline the need for a balance between online and in-person experiences, as in-person learning remains important for both the personal and academic experience. Recognising that mobility of learners and staff should be complemented by the aim to make mobility greener and contribute to making the EU climate-neutral by 2050, diverse forms of environment-friendly mobility must be explored and promoted as highlighted in our Vision for the European Education Area. Acknowledging that green mobility is important, policies to boost such mobility should not introduce unintended consequences for less-connected regions and for individuals with specific personal, financial and professional considerations which may limit their ability to use green mobility (e.g. time constraints due to family commitments). As sufficient funding remains a limiting factor for learning mobility, boosting funding schemes must be a priority also to be combined with favourable local conditions such as the availability of affordable accommodation. We urge the Commission to prioritize making mobility more accessible and inclusive for everyone, notably by providing extra funding to universities to enable them to enhance their offer of language classes to incoming and outgoing higher education students, teachers, and staff members. Obtaining a legal status or a visa has become increasingly difficult for higher education students, teachers, and staff members from outside the European Union and EEA areas. We thus underline an urgent need for member states (including through their embassies abroad) to communicate and collaborate closely with universities to facilitate streamlined mobility of qualified students and staff from all across the globe. Finally, we recall our plea to ensure mutual recognition of qualifications and learning outcomes from abroad, as they are the basis of recognition and allow defining whether students will be fulfilling their programs required qualifications.
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Response to Erasmus+ 2021-2027 interim evaluation and Erasmus+ 2014-2020 final evaluation

31 Aug 2022

Please find attached our contribution, with pages 4 and 5 containing specific information for Erasmus.
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Response to Interim evaluation of Horizon Europe

12 Jul 2022

Please find attached an input note.
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Response to Brain drain communication

21 Jun 2022

Please find the full-text inluding links to resources and evidence attached. An excerpt is included below: The leading universities of science & technology united in CESAER welcome the renewed focus from the European Commission on brain circulation and recall that we are strong proponents for boosting research talent circulation within Europe and beyond. With this input, we respond to the invitation to submit evidence to guide the upcoming ‘Communication on Brain drain – mitigating challenges associated with population decline’, envisioned for publication by the end of 2022. The emigration of university-educated and highly skilled individuals is often termed ‘brain drain’, and a core part relates to the unbalanced mobility of researchers. Solutions Contributing factors can be found on several levels, and solutions to move away from ‘brain drain’ to instead ensure ‘research talent circulation’ must therefore be deployed at several levels. Framework conditions: We call on the EU institutions to ensure a truly reinforced European Research Area (ERA) and to establish a dynamic European Education Area driven by excellence (EEA). Sustainable funding: Foundational to balanced research talent circulation is ensuring sustainable funding levels, and we call on all EU member states to swiftly reach the 3% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) target for private and public expenditures for Research and Innovation (R&I), and commit to 1.25% of GDP from public sources for R&I and higher education respectively, in line with the best performers in the world. It is not a coincidence that the EU member states facing the largest ‘brain drain’ challenge are among those furthest away from reaching these targets. In addition, we call upon the EU institutions and member states to ensure that the EU budget, including the Recovery and Resilience Facility, notably including Horizon Europe and Erasmus, provides the strongest support for investment in knowledge, as vital for recovery and to build resilience. Attractive careers: Researchers’ employment conditions must be improved to meet Europe’s goals, this includes (i) boosting careers of early-stage researchers, (ii) promoting and supporting the implementation of the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) and (iii) strengthening equality, diversity and inclusion across all of Europe and beyond. Our offer Recalling the strong commitments and long-standing efforts of our association and our 57 Member universities from all across Europe and beyond, we offer our partnership, expertise and support towards ensuring research talent circulation by boosting the sharing of excellence, reducing inequalities and removing barriers within the ERA and EEA. For more information please contact our Deputy Secretary General Mattias Björnmalm.
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Response to A New European Innovation Agenda

9 May 2022

The leading universities of Science and Technology (S&T) united within CESAER today publish our position ‘Boosting disruptive innovation by fostering new mindsets and co-creating innovation’. We underline the vital importance of appropriate framework conditions and sustainable funding to deploy co-creation practices and develop the right skills and mindsets within and beyond universities to ensure a safe, secure and sustainable future and introduce four key messages: Foster talent and engage people Advance innovation ecosystems by developing better cooperation processes for open innovation Promote and implement scientific knowledge Promote a risk-taking mindset to boost disruptive innovation Full details, concrete recommendations and our offer are all included in the attachement and publicly available via https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6532440
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Response to 2022 Strategic Foresight Report

21 Feb 2022

CESAER together with the Royal Academy of Engineering on 21 January 2022 published a joint statement with foresight and strategic recommendations on key technologies which I hereby submit to you for your consideration. It is publicly available via the following link: https://www.cesaer.org/news/key-technologies-shaping-the-future-foresight-and-strategic-recommendations-1080/ It can also be cited as CESAER, & Royal Academy of Engineering. (2022). Key Technologies Shaping the Future. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5865414 I am available for any questions you may have at mattias.bjornmalm@cesaer.org
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Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and

19 Jul 2021 · Skills Roundtable on Digital

Response to Communication on the Global Approach to Research, Innovation, Education and Youth

7 Apr 2021

With a view to tackle the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) and address local and global challenges, we call upon the EU institutions to (i) assume leadership at the global level, (ii) promote agency of academic institutions and academics, and (iii) boost the systemic changes and transformations needed to stimulate cultural, economic and societal recovery and to build resilience in pursuit of ecological, economic and social sustainability (European Green Deal) and digitalisation (Europe fit for the digital age). We point out the major local and global challenges which loom behind the current pandemic, such as social exclusion, increasing inequality of the share of wealth, climate change, plastic pollution, biodiversity loss, despotism and authoritarianism. We advise that the EU's Global Approach to Research, Innovation and Education facilitates S&T excellence in all its facets and capacity building where the pandemic and local and global challenges hit hardest. Acknowledging the need for the EU to be realistic and - in duly justified and exceptional cases - have the capacity to exclude parties from third countries from its S&T cooperation and competition, we urge regional and national governments and the EU institutions to pursue openness in principle and in practice as the default modus operandi therewith maintaining and strengthening Europe’s attractiveness for talent and for excellent research, education and innovation.
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Meeting with Mariya Gabriel (Commissioner)

16 Mar 2021 · European Bauhaus, Transformation agenda for higher education and Involvement and engagement of university associations in the governance and implementation of the European Research Area and the European Education Area

Response to Achieving the European Education Area

25 Aug 2020

Recalling our positions Vision for the European Education Area (EEA), Evaluation of the European University alliances pilot, Sustainable funding for universities of the future in Europe, Lead for research, education and innovation in recovery and to build resilience, we hereby emphasise four key messages that should be reflected in the ‘Communication on achieving the European Education Area’ as our answer on the consultation for the communication. In our view, to fully harness the potential and deliver on the objectives of the EEA, all future efforts must aim to: ADOPT BOLDEST AMBITION We encourage to adopt the boldest ambitions when shaping the EEA, thus i) establishing European knowledge societies as a community addressing specific values (such as equality, diversity and inclusion) and fundamental ones (such as democracy, rule of law, transparency and human rights) to safeguard academic freedom (to be promoted like freedom of speech and freedom of press) and institutional autonomy and support university leadership; and ii) enabling universities of science and technology to release unprecedented forces to contribute to ecological, economic and social sustainability and to act as autonomous agents of great transformation. To fulfil its purpose, the EEA must be wide and open, not confined within the borders of the EU, but cover the signatory countries of the European Cultural Convention and provide for partnerships with neighbouring countries. We advise to establish Erasmus as the key EU instrument to implement the EEA along the example of the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation for the European Research Area, and urge to focus Erasmus more on quality in line with article 165 TFEU. SECURE SUFFICIENT FUNDING FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING AT ALL LEVELS Advancing the EEA and turning it into reality will require sufficient and sustainable funding. Strategic investment in the future of our peoples through education and training will help to build a more modern, sustainable and resilient Europe. This should be realised by adopting an enforceable percentage of GDP target for funding for higher education in line with the best-performing regions in the world and including it into the European Semester. Moreover, synergies between different funding instruments, notably Erasmus and Horizon Europe, must be sought to effectively bridge research, education and innovation. ENABLE STUDENTS, LEARNERS AND TEACHERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE The priorities of the EEA must shift from ensuring the employability of students and learners to (i) equipping students, learners and teachers with the knowledge, skills and competences necessary to tackle the grand global challenges; (ii) enabling them to meet the demands of changing European knowledge societies; and (iii) empowering them to contribute to ecological, social and economic sustainability. To achieve this, new instruments to facilitate lifelong learning and ensure continuous access to reskilling and up-skilling at any stage of life must be developed. They should include micro-credentials, help address the shortage of STEM graduates, as well as ensure better entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. ENSURE MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES FROM ABROAD Although considerable progress has been made, the mutual recognition of qualifications and learning outcomes abroad remains a lingering problem for students and universities across Europe and beyond. Instead of relying heavily on European Universities as a promising cure-all, efforts should continue in parallel (i) to implement a European Student Card allowing automatic recognition of ECTS credits for the open and wide EEA, and not only the EU; (ii) to improve the application and working of the Lisbon Recognition Convention; and (iii) to collect and share experiences and best practices. We offer to continue pro-actively and constructively contribute to shaping and implementing the EEA by 2025.
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Response to Communication on the future of research and innovation and the European Research Area

17 Jul 2020

Recalling our positions Future of the European Research Area (ERA), Research talent circulation within the ERA, Sustainable funding for universities of the future in Europe, Lead for research, education and innovation in recovery and to build resilience and white paper Universities of S&T as engines of excellence, talent and innovation, we hereby emphasise three key messages that should be central in the ‘Communication on the future of research and innovation and the European Research Area’ as our answer on the consultation for the communication. We also offer to continue to contribute pro-actively and constructively to the implementation of the ERA. Excellent science must be at core of ERA Excellent science and technology is at the core of the public research system and thus the ERA, and therefore must be one of the new aims of the ERA. This includes strong (public) support for investigator-led frontier research, as well as the enabling infrastructures which are vital for excellence in research, education and innovation (see our white paper Universities of S&T as engines of excellence, talent and innovation). Any attempt to disrupt the balance of bottom-up and top-down approaches by an undue focus on top-down ‘directionality’ of research would rip the heart out of the ERA and restrict the contribution of research, innovation and education as global public goods to lead recovery and to build resilience in Europe and beyond. ERA must be open and welcoming to all like-minded partners The Covid-19 outbreak has reminded us of the importance of working together across borders in Europe and beyond. While the treaty objective (TFEU 179) compels the removal of all barriers to ensure that ‘researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely’, it would be damaging to the ERA to limit this to the borders of the EU. The communication must instead pave the way for (i) a genuine contribution of European research to the world, (ii) the free circulation of researchers, scientific knowledge and technology with all like-minded partners and (iii) an orderly and timely association of interested and third countries to Horizon Europe. Sustainable funding targets are critical to implement ERA The bold ambitions of the ERA require sustainable funding levels, including increasing the often anaemic national and regional funding levels. It is therefore paramount to ensure sustainable funding for research and innovation. This should take the form of commitments to new and reinforced targets, as a proportion of GDP, for private and for public spending on research and innovation, and higher education that match the best performers in the world. Genuine offer to implement ERA The full support of diverse research careers is a cornerstone of a thriving ERA. Here, we universities must assume leadership in ensuring our rewards and assessment procedures fully support modern researcher careers. Recalling our recent efforts on Boosting the careers of early-stage researchers, Research talent circulation, Next-generation metrics, Equality, diversity and inclusion, and Sharing experiences with Human Resources Strategy for Researchers, our association hereby offers to be an active and constructive partner in this area. To empower universities to fully contribute to the ERA and assume leadership, key research stakeholders and their representatives must be involved in the future overall governance of the ERA in a structured way, e.g. through the ERA Stakeholder Organisations (ERA SHO) Platform, and not in an incidental or ad hoc fashion. To ensure effective and genuine contributions to this governance, key SHO would be those who pledge to commit to specific contributions towards the implementation of the ERA. As one of the member organisations in the ERA SHO Platform, we offer our continued partnership and stand ready to make such commitments, with our President Rik Van de Walle personally committed. (see attached PDF)
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Meeting with Jean-Philippe Gammel (Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics)

15 Feb 2019 · Higher education

Meeting with Carlos Moedas (Commissioner) and

14 Feb 2019 · Horizon Europe

Meeting with Carlos Moedas (Commissioner) and

5 Mar 2018 · FP9

Meeting with Julie Fionda (Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssen), Stefaan Hermans (Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssen)

2 Feb 2017 · New Skills Agenda for Europe

Meeting with Tibor Navracsics (Commissioner)

2 Feb 2017 · Interdisciplinary education and research, the Erasmus+ programme, the EIT and the JRC

Meeting with Carlos Moedas (Commissioner)

13 Feb 2015 · European Research Area