Today, the Commission has published the 2024 edition of the Science, Research and Innovation (R&I) Performance report (SRIP). Over the past two decades, there has been an increase in EU investments in R&I which has contributed to the EU's competitiveness in green tech especially, and to the overall high quality of EU research.

The report also highlights three main challenges for EU R&I:

• Underutilised R&I ecosystems: the EU is a top global player in scientific research, but it is facing several obstacles in exploiting its rich R&I ecosystem at its best. The sharp variations in research & development (R&D) efforts across Member States put the 3% of GDP target still far from being achieved.
• Persistent R&I divide: R&I activities have a tendency to concentrate in certain places – which can be reinforced through provision of support to the highest achieving activities and actors.
• Technological gap compared to other regions of the world, also caused by the complexities in raising private sector investment for R&I at the EU level. While the EU has made strong progress with the green transition, there is still progress to be made in the digital area.