Two years after the beginning of the first innovation projects supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), it is time to assess, detect deviations and eventually correct courses.
As I wrote, almost three years ago, the EU financing programmes available for this decade – PRR, PT2030, Horizon Europe and INvestEU 21-27 – anticipate promising prospects for economic and social recovery, given the large resources made available. But as I also mentioned at the time, the challenges would be many – especially, investing in a way that would effectively contribute to increasing the country’s competitiveness and finding the resources (both human and material) to implement so many initiatives and projects. If the first challenge identified will take time to be evaluated, concerning the necessary resources, in what concerns INESC TEC, it seems to be overcome – judging by the number of open calls for HR recruiting and the number of hiring processes taking place.
But what we did not seek to have anticipated was the dimension of the “bureaucratic web” that is significantly delaying the implementation of funds and projects (the “resilience” essential to meet all the requirements would be the theme for a more thorough editorial!).
A positive aspect, however, is the fact that the implementation of the PRR is delayed across Europe, which should lead Member-States to approve the extension of the implementation period of said funds – beyond 2026.
It is widely mentioned that we live in unique times, with the availability of good quality funding, which enables us to carry out projects in line with INESC TEC’s scientific strategy and the recently approved Strategic Plan 2023/2030. However, in the post-PRR, the decrease in national financing will be severe (it is estimated that, in order to enable the “payment” of the PRR by 2058, there will be a 15% to 20% cut in cohesion funds).
And although I highlighted the high availability of financing mechanisms three years ago, today it is important to take measures and prepare for a reduction. I do not want to anticipate that we must reverse the growth trajectory, but rather that we must take advantage of the current availability to definitively consolidate INESC TEC’s position as an assured and vital R&D&I institution in the national and European (and international) panorama, reinforcing the dimension of its internationalisation and carefully diversifying the sources of financing.
One of our biggest fears was that PRR calls – and the respective execution of approved projects – would discourage efforts to submit applications for other types of funding – more specifically, for European calls. But, in fact, what we observed is that, since 2020, the number of proposals submitted has increased: in the first three months of 2024, they more than doubled those submitted in 2020. The success rate has also been growing, corresponding to about 24% in Horizon Europe proposals submitted by 2023 (when the average success rate of the programme is estimated at 15.9%).
Therefore, we maintain hope in the future, despite the constant challenges, and the needs created by the current dimension of an institution that wants to assert itself internationally; we believe that current opportunities will be properly capitalised and channelled into institutional training, and that we will simultaneously be able to maintain focus and reason, with the necessary audacity, to continue to meet goals and exceed objectives, while fulfilling the mission that unites us – according to the fundamental values shared by our community: Thoroughness and excellence; Freedom of creation and thought; Integrity, transparency and ethics; Collaboration; Creativity, boldness, curiosity and innovation; Focus on people and inclusion, always at the service of society.
Marta Barbas, Executive Advisor to the Board and Head of INESC TEC Funding Opportunities Office
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