European Research & Innovation Days

On 16–17 September 2025, Brussels will host the European Research & Innovation (R&I) Days, the European Commission’s flagship event on research and innovation.

This sixth edition comes at a pivotal moment for the European Union, with debates on the next long-term budget and major policy files that will guide Europe’s competitiveness, sustainability, and industrial leadership in the years ahead.

Over the course of two days, participants will take part in more than 20 sessions covering key themes such as the Startup & Scaleup Strategy, the European Life Sciences Strategy, the AI in Science Strategy, the European Innovation Act and the European Research Area Act. 

The programme features a keynote by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, opening remarks by the Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva, and contributions from leading figures across EU institutions, science, and industry, including Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen and science communicator Lucy Hawking.

The topics addressed at R&I Days 2025 are directly connected to SET-IndEU’s work on advancing energy efficiency and sustainable energy use in Europe’s process industries. These industries are central to the EU’s climate and industrial goals, playing a key role in the successful implementation of the Net Zero Industry Act, the Critical Raw Materials Act, and the REPowerEU package.

The outcomes of the event will help shape the policy and research framework that supports the decarbonisation and competitiveness of Europe’s energy-intensive sectors – areas where SET-IndEU is actively contributing through its support to the SET Plan Implementation Working Group on Sustainable and Efficient Energy Use in Industry (SET Plan IWG-Industry).

More information available here.