European research and commercialization integration

European authorities and researchers are working to address the gap between scientific discovery and market commercialization. At the AgRI 2040 conference in Brussels, the European Commission discussed a strategic framework to transition agricultural and forestry research from laboratories to scalable commercial deployment. This initiative focuses on areas such as soil health, animal welfare, and artificial intelligence, while seeking to link the Horizon Europe research program with the Common Agricultural Policy budget.

Simultaneously, researchers from the INPACT! network have identified that fragmented innovation funding systems slow the transition of laboratory discoveries into viable products. They suggest integrating funding streams, such as placing ERC Proof of Concept grants under the European Innovation Council, to create more fluid pathways for high-risk projects. These efforts coincide with preparations for the 5th Central European Technology Forum (CETEF’26), which aims to debate technological sovereignty and the integration of science with business across sectors like semiconductors and quantum technologies.