President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a speech at the ‘Choose Europe for Science’ event held at La Sorbonne, emphasizing Europe’s commitment to scientific excellence and collaboration. She highlighted the historical significance of La Sorbonne and recounted the story of Marie Curie as an emblem of scientific freedom and progress.
Von der Leyen expressed concern over the questioning of science’s role in today’s world, stating, “Without the ideas and breakthroughs that come from scientific research, progress sooner or later stagnates.” She stressed that science is crucial for addressing global challenges such as health, technology, climate change, and ocean preservation.
The President outlined Europe’s strong foundation in scientific research with its extensive history and infrastructure. She noted that Europe has over 2 million researchers and leads in various fields including green tech, health, aerospace, robotics, automotive engineering, biotechnologies, and pharmaceuticals.
To further support scientific endeavors, von der Leyen announced the Choose Europe Initiative. The initiative aims to maintain open and free science in Europe by strengthening knowledge movement across borders. It also includes a new EUR 500 million package for 2025-2027 to attract top researchers globally.
Von der Leyen emphasized the importance of supporting early career scientists through initiatives like Maria Skłodowska-Curie fellowships. The goal is to reach a target of 3% GDP investment in research by 2030.
The initiative also plans to introduce a European Innovation Act to fast-track transformative innovation into business opportunities. Von der Leyen stated that simplifying entry processes for international researchers would help bring global talent to Europe.
Concluding her speech, von der Leyen urged young scientists worldwide: “Choose Science. Choose Europe.”
