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Source: https://www.tuwien.at/en/tu-wien/news/news/tu-austria-und-tu9-setzen-in-bruessel-zentrale-impulse-fuer-europas-innovationszukunft Parent: https://www.tuwien.at/en/tu-wien/news

March 2026

TU Austria and TU9 provide key impetus for Europe's innovative future in Brussels

Technical universities focus on opportunities and challenges of the tenth EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation

On 2 March 2026, around 100 high-ranking representatives from the European Parliament and EU institutions, European university associations and industry accepted the joint invitation from TU9 – German Universities of Technology (Germany) and TU Austria (Austria) to attend the discussion "Next MFF – From Policy to Practice. How Technical Universities Drive Europe's R&I Impact" in Brussels.

The focus was on the ongoing negotiations on the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10), the desired integration with the planned European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), and the question of how technical universities can further strengthen their role as bridge builders between basic research, industrial application and societal benefit in the future.

Angela Ittel, President of TU Braunschweig and TU9 Co-President, and Peter Middendorf, Rector of the University of Stuttgart and TU9 Co-President, emphasise: “As strong networks of technical universities in successful innovation ecosystems, we are committed to an independent, internationally compatible FP10. It is Europe's most important instrument for excellent and cooperative research and innovation. Together with Erasmus+, the European Competitiveness Fund and good connections between these instruments, it strengthens the EU's competitiveness in the long term. This also includes attracting and retaining talent in Europe. Our research-based education, the training of doctoral students and lifelong learning are clear competitive advantages in this regard.”

Jens Schneider, President of TU Austria and Rector of TU Wien, added: “To secure Europe's technological sovereignty in the long term, consistent investment in research, talent and innovation spaces is needed. Technical universities are ready to contribute their expertise and strong partnerships so that FP10 and ECF together create tangible added value for science and the economy.”

Technical universities: Focus on innovation, excellence and European competitiveness

The high-calibre programme included keynote speeches by Maive Rute, Deputy Director-General DG GROW, and Anastasios Kentarchos, Advisor to the Director at the Common Policy Centre DG RTD. Both emphasised the importance of close coordination between the EU research programme, industrial competitiveness and sustainable value creation in Europe.

In the interactive discussion that followed, moderated by Mattias Björnmalm (Secretary General of CESAER), Angela Ittel, Jens Schneider, Maive Rute, Anastasios Kentarchos and experts from the audience discussed key issues relating to FP10 and ECF, including:

how FP10 can become a driver for technological growth and European resilience
what role the ECF should play in strengthening European industrial capacities
how to balance the promotion of excellence, mission orientation and geopolitical challenges
what instruments are needed to strengthen technology transfer, deep tech start-ups and innovative ecosystems across Europe
how technical universities can systematically contribute their special role as research partners, trainers of highly qualified talent and accelerators of innovation\

The participants emphasised that only a well-funded, coherently structured and strategically coordinated interaction between FP10 and the European Competitiveness Fund can further increase Europe's innovative strength and secure its global competitiveness. There was agreement that Europe needs advanced technologies in strategic areas. Combining cutting-edge research with real-world applications is an important way to achieve this.

Technical universities are strong partners in this endeavour, as they can draw on over two hundred years of experience. The presidencies of TU Austria and TU9 agree: “We are fully aware of the urgency and importance of the challenges ahead and are ready to intensify our efforts and make our contribution.”

About TU Austria

TU Austria is an alliance of Austrian technical universities founded in 2010 by TU Wien, Graz University of Technology and the Technical University of Leoben. Since 2025, the BOKU University, Vienna, the Faculty of Engineering & Natural Sciences at Johannes Kepler University Linz and the Faculty of Engineering Sciences at the University of Innsbruck have strengthened TU Austria as associate members.\ Along the line "feel. tech. europe," the universities of TU Austria are joining forces and exploiting synergies to achieve more together in research, teaching and higher education policy and to act as a reliable partner for industry and business with their combined expertise. TU Austria is a strong, internationally networked forum and stands for excellent science, economic relevance and sustainable development in Austria.

About TU9

TU9 is an alliance of leading technical universities in Germany: RWTH Aachen University, TU Berlin, TU Braunschweig, TU Darmstadt, Dresden University of Technology, Leibniz University Hannover, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Technical University of Munich and University of Stuttgart.\ TU9 universities take on special responsibility for the productive and innovative strength of our society and economy. They help shape the future, among other things through contributions to digitalisation and the energy and sustainability transition. To this end, they combine their specific expertise in basic research, particularly in the natural sciences and engineering, with application-oriented research and innovation. TU9 universities enjoy an excellent reputation worldwide as renowned research and teaching institutions. They train outstanding young talent for science, business and administration, maintain high-calibre international networks and diverse collaborations with industry. This makes them an essential element of Germany as a centre of science and innovation.\

Contact

TU Austria\ Dr. Elke Standeker, Generalsekretärin\ +43 3842 402 7013 | office@tuaustria.ac.at\ https://www.tuaustria.at

TU9 – German Universities of Technology e.V.\ Dr. Stephanie Christmann-Budian, TU9-Geschäftsführerin\ +49 30/278 74 76 80 | office@tu9.de\ https://www.tu9.de\