Explained

The Pact for Research & Innovation (R&I) sets the development and exploitation of synergies between the ERA and the European Higher Education Area as one of the priority areas for joint action in the EU. This is particularly important for higher education institutions acting in connection with both education and R&I. However, European R&I and higher education systems continue to be managed in silos, limiting their potential. To unleash the full potential of European R&I ecosystems and enhance synergies between our education, R&I systems, more systematic coordination and a structured dialogue are needed.

In the ERA Policy Agenda (2025-2027), these needs are addressed through a dedicated structural policy aiming to create a structured and focused exchange within the community, involving both research and higher education representatives, to create more robust partnerships between education and R&I actors, and to set up new mechanisms and incentives to reduce fragmentation and bridge the regional divide. This work will be carried out through four thematic workshops, whose focus and content will work in detail on the policy’s questions and key objectives and aims to produce a tangible outcome as a result.

The first ERA Policy Agenda (2022-2024) included the action “Empower Higher Education Institutions to develop in line with the ERA, and in synergy with the European Education Area”, which partially addressed some of the same topics and objectives. The scope and the implementation modalities were adapted to better address the needs of Member States and stakeholders.

The vast majority of structural policies and actions under the ERA Policy Agenda involve education and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In addition, Horizon Europe offers relevant calls for which universities – including European University Alliances – can be strong competitors, both under the ‘Widening participation and strengthening the ERA’ and the ‘European Innovation Ecosystems’ work programme.

On this page, you can find ongoing projects and upcoming calls for proposals, and reports with a selection of good practices on the research dimension from pilot European University Alliance projects.

Resources and tools

Policy Recommendations

This document provides strategic guidance to universities, university alliances, and policymakers at institutional, national, and European levels. By Horizon Europe project CATALISI.

Agora Digital Platform

Agora is a digital platform designed to support the institutional transformation of higher education institutions and acting as a practical tool for impactful and sustainable change. Developed by Horizon Europe project aUPaEU.

Report on good practices from European University Alliances Projects (pilot II): Projects funded under Horizon 2020: IBA-SwafS-SUPPORT-2-2020 call

This report presents a selection of good practices from the 22 Pilot II European University Alliance projects (alliances SwafS projects hereafter) funded under the Horizon 2020 IBA-SwafS-Support-2-2020 call.

Progress of University Alliance Projects: Projects funded under Horizon 2020 IBA-SwafS-Support-1-2020 Call - Pilot I

This report provides an analysis on the intermediate progress in the period of 2021 – 2022 of the 17 European University Alliances projects funded under the Horizon 2020 Science with and for Society IBA-SwafS-Support-1-2020 call - Support for the Research and Innovation Dimension of European Universities.