What is INSPIRING ERA?
Bringing the European Research Area (ERA) closer to its research community
INSPIRING ERA is a Horizon Europe project that supports researchers, research and higher education institutions, and innovation actors in understanding and applying the outcomes of the European Research Area (ERA). It helps turn policy into practice by connecting the people who create ERA policies with those who are affected by them and make use of them on the ground.
What We Do
INSPIRING ERA’s mission is to make ERA outcomes visible, understandable, and usable. We focus on the practical side of policy—translating its effects and showcasing ERA tools, frameworks, and services that the research and innovation community can take up.
We develop factsheets, organise events, and create tailored communication materials that help the research and innovation community navigate ERA’s opportunities—for example self-assessment tools for research careers, open science services and helpful guidelines on using AI in science.
How We Work
INSPIRING ERA operates as a two-way bridge:
- We translate policy into practice, helping the research and innovation community across Europe engage with ERA in a way that is meaningful, relevant, and accessible.
- At the same time, we gather insights from practitioners about how ERA is working in real-world settings—identifying needs, challenges, and good practices—and share them with European policymakers through policy briefs and recommendations.
INSPIRING ERA ensures that ERA policies don’t just exist on paper—but are understood, applied, and improved through practical engagement and structured feedback.
Who We Reach
We primarily target individual researchers, research-performing organisations, higher education institutions, innovation actors, and national stakeholders who are not typically involved in policymaking but are directly impacted by ERA policies. At the same time, European and national policymakers benefit from the insights we collect during our work.
Join the ERA community
- Join the community!
- Have a look at our upcoming events
- Follow us on LinkedIn
- Follow us on Bluesky
- Follow us on YouTube
Collaborate with us
If you’re part of an EU project, network or initiative, get in touch to explore how we can collaborate. We welcome opportunities for joint activities, knowledge sharing and cross-promotion – working together to strengthen the European Research Area in practice.
Latest News
Why the strategy was created? Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how science works. It can read thousands of research papers in seconds, automate lab experiments and analyze huge datasets, Thus, it helps scientists make discoveries faster than ever before. But Europe faced several challenges: To address these issues and
- November 14, 2025
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Do you need to test your research skills? The European Commission has recently launched a new self-assessment tool based on ResearchComp, the European Competence Framework for Researchers. The tool helps researchers explore their skills and identify areas for further development. ResearchComp supports the assessment and growth of research competences across
- November 7, 2025
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- September 24, 2025
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- September 24, 2025
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- September 5, 2025
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The results of the Mutual Learning Exercise (MLE) on Research Careers, an initiative to support more attractive and sustainable research careers across Europe, are now available. The MLE, coordinated by the European Commission, brought together policymakers and experts from across the EU to exchange best practices and generate actionable recommendations
- July 14, 2025
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Latest Events
- December 11, 2025
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Over two days, policymakers, research professionals, and stakeholder networks will explore how Europe can create sustainable, excellent, and open career pathways for all researchers. The Conference on Research Careers 2025 on 11-12 December 2025 is the main focus this year – because supporting the people behind that research is more
- December 10, 2025
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At a moment when researchers face growing pressure—from political influence and misinformation to surveillance and the disruptive rise of AI—the Conference on Freedom of Scientific Research (open plenary), co-organised with UNESCO, comes to show what it means to protect scientific freedom in Europe. Join us on 10 December 2025 for
- December 03, 2025
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- Tivoli Hotel & Congress Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
In an era where knowledge, innovation, and societal impact are central to Europe’s future, how we assess research and researchers has become a pivotal issue. Traditional evaluation systems, grounded primarily in narrow quantitative metrics, no longer suffice to capture the breadth and diversity of scholarly contributions. Recognizing this challenge, the
- November 28, 2025
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- Online
As the European Research Area (ERA) celebrates its 25th anniversary, 2025 marks a pivotal moment to reflect on past achievements and to reinforce the ERA’s mission of building a more coherent, open and impactful European Research & Innovation ecosystem. With the new ERA Policy Agenda 2025–2027, renewed political attention is
- November 17, 2025
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- TechGate Vienna
The Austrian ERA Symposium 2025 – “Towards Europe’s Fifth Freedom”, will take place on 17 November 2025 at TechGate Vienna, and brings together researchers, policymakers, and innovation stakeholders to discuss the future of the European Research Area (ERA). The event will feature a key-note from Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and
- November 13, 2025
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- Centre Borschette, Brussels
On 13 November 2025, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) will host its flagship event “From Knowledge to Impact: Shaping Europe’s Next Innovation Wave” in Brussels and online. The event will gather policymakers, researchers, innovators, and stakeholders from across Europe to discuss how knowledge valorisation can drive Europe’s next wave of
INSPIRING ERA
INSPIRING ERA is a project funded by the Horizon Europe programme aimed at breathing new life into the European Research Area (ERA).
Our goal is to raise awareness, share best practices and speed up the adoption of advancements made under the umbrella of the ERA to benefit researchers and citizens across the countries involved.
ERA Policy Agenda 2025–2027
The European Commission, together with Member States and stakeholders, adopted the new ERA Policy Agenda to strengthen research and innovation across Europe.
It sets out 11 long-term structural policies and 8 concrete actions focused on open science, sustainable research careers, gender equality, reforming research assessment, and supporting the green and digital transitions.
The agenda reflects a renewed vision for a more inclusive, resilient, and impactful ERA—one that inspires trust, fosters mobility, and delivers solutions to Europe’s societal challenges.
A legacy of progress and a future of innovation
The European Research Area (ERA) marks 25 years of progress in building a single market for research, innovation, and knowledge across Europe.
Since 2000, the ERA has broken down barriers, strengthened collaboration, and enabled major scientific achievements in fields such as health, energy, digital technologies, and climate research.
Looking ahead, the ERA continues to evolve with renewed reforms, greater investment, and bold visions to make Europe a global leader in scientific excellence and innovation.
