Institut Pasteur
IP
The Institut Pasteur, a non-profit foundation with recognized charitable status set up by Louis Pasteur in 1887: an internationally renowned center for biomedical research.
ID: 010630050724-84
Lobbying Activity
Meeting with Ekaterina Zaharieva (Commissioner) and
1 Dec 2025 · Cooperation on R&I
Response to European Research Area (ERA) Act
10 Sept 2025
The preservation and reinforcement of the European Research Area (ERA) as a unified market for researchers, scientific knowledge, and technology represents far more than an administrative objectiveit is a strategic imperative for Europe's future. In an era of intensifying global competition and emerging geopolitical tensions, science and innovation have become one of the pillars of the European competitiveness and the foundation of strategic autonomy in critical domains such as human health. As a world-renowned biomedical research institute with a mission to advance global health through open and collaborative science, the Institut Pasteur stands at the intersection of European scientific excellence and international cooperation. Pasteur scientific vision transcends traditional boundaries, advocating for universal research that fosters collaboration while delivering tangible societal impact. This perspective uniquely positions Institut Pasteur to address the fundamental challenges facing European research today and propose strategic solutions for tomorrow's scientific landscape. A Strategic Vision for the Future: Institut Pasteur's vision for the European Research Area reflects a deep understanding that scientific excellence, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy are inseparable. In a world where knowledge drives competitive advantage, Europe faces a clear choice: scientific leadership or dependency. This vision demands that Europe develop its own capacity for global scientific leadership while remaining faithful to its fundamental values of openness, collaboration, and democratic governance. This requires substantial investment in fundamental and applied science, targeted support for humanity's greatest challengessuch as health and crisis preparednessand world-class research infrastructures with collaborative networks. Tomorrow's European Research Area must be a space where brilliant minds converge, where scientific curiosity drives innovation, and where European values shape the global research agenda. Only through such commitment can Europe secure its scientific sovereignty while advancing human knowledge and well-being. Institut Pasteur's Key Recommendations for the Future ERA Act: 1. Establish Scientific Sovereignty: Create robust protections for scientific integrity, independence from political pressures, and democratic governance structures that prioritize public interest. 2. Enshrine the "Fifth Freedom": Formally recognize free circulation of knowledge, data, and researchers as a fundamental European principle. 3. Strategic Long-term Investment: Provide substantial, sustained funding, including fundamental research as a keystone of innovation, through permanent structural frameworks (eg. ERC, Marie Skłodowska-Curie), world-class and "ever-ready" infrastructures, and expansion of successful national models as "Labex" to European level. 4. Enhanced European Coordination: Establish mechanisms for better alignment between EU and Member States on R&I priorities, streamline governance, and create structured researcher-policymaker dialogue while simplifying administration. 5. Global leadership : Position Europe as the world's leading research destination by deepening in particular the "Choose Europe for Science" initiative and maintaining international partnerships while attracting global talent. See the attached document.
Read full responseMeeting with Nienke Buisman (Head of Unit Research and Innovation)
17 Jul 2025 · Exchange of views on cooperation in Research cooperation, science diplomacy and innovation