Research for sustainability transformation is a pathway to Europe's long-term resilience and competitiveness

Here you can find the Finnish Environment Institute's (Syke) messages for the preparation of the next EU's research and innovation programme (FP10) 2028–2034.
© Kai Widell
  1. Europe’s resilience and security benefit from research-based solutions for environmental crises

    FP10 should address environmental and societal resilience as a key societal challenge warranting research and development investment. Supporting the generation of knowledge and innovations would advance transition to circular economy and naturebased solutions as sources of resilience and climate change adaptation. 

  2. Ambitious applied, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research is a prerequisite for addressing sustainability challenges

    FP10 should support developing and implementing policies tackling sustainability transition challenges with science-based management solutions. 

  3. Sustainability transformation requires strong public-private collaboration on research, innovation and development as well as the engagement of civil society

    FP10 should include active Implementation of the EU Green Deal with collaborative arrangements, such as municipality networks and with business and policy integrating nature and climate positive solutions. Watershed level restoration and reuse-based circular economy are examples of such collaboration.

Europe’s resilience and security needs research-based solutions for environmental crises

Climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and water crises continue to challenge Europe. The causes and consequences of these challenges are societal, economic, material and technical. Environmental crises are also linked to societal polarization and questioning of evidence-based knowledge. Indeed, managing these crises contributes to the resilience of society and security. Long-term societal, economic and environmental resilience requires management that draws from multiple knowledge-sources and disciplines. Employing a systems approach will generate synergies and costefficiency.

Syke calls for FP10 to further couple research agendas addressing ecological sustainability and state of the environment together with social and economic resilience and security. Sociotechnical, social-ecological and policy analyses should be developed alongside high quality environmental research infrastructures and monitoring.

Investment in resilience

FP10 should address environmental and societal resilience as a key societal challenge warranting research and development investment. Supporting the generation of knowledge and innovations would advance transition to circular economy and nature-based solutions as sources of resilience and climate change adaptation. 

Solutions to build on

Ambitious applied, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research is a prerequisite for addressing sustainability challenges

Sustainability transformation relies on clean, digital and society-level transition. It can be advanced with research combining scientific ambition and co-development with users and stakeholders. This requires analyses of human, social and legal aspects of transformation, in addition to the ecological and technical ones. Modern research infrastructure with integrative monitoring and applications for policy and society constitute form a foundation for Europe’s success.

Syke highlights that FP10 should invest in applied, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research to seek solutions to sustainability challenges. Syke supports the suggested European Societal Challenges Council, or an equivalent mechanism for experimentation and upscaling solutions.

Policy support

FP10 should support developing and implementing policies tackling sustainability transition challenges with science-based management solutions. 

Solutions to build on

Sustainability transformation requires strong public-private collaboration on research, innovation and development as well as the engagement of civil society

Europe’s global leadership in sustainable development and research-driven sustainability transformation requires a close coupling of policy and research agendas. The environmental sector exemplifies ambitious development of research ecosystems that connect knowledge-users with knowledge producers. Ursula von der Leyen’s whole-ofgovernment approach aligns with transformative research and innovation policy.

Syke emphasizes that FP10 needs to secure and strengthen broad-based collaboration. Public and private organizations, cities and non-governmental organizations should be engaged in co producing sustainability transformation and green and digital transition.

Collaboration

FP10 should include active Implementation of the EU Green Deal with collaborative arrangements, such as municipality networks and with business and policy integrating nature and climate positive solutions. Watershed level restoration and reuse-based circular economy are examples of such collaboration. 

Solutions to build on

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More information

Eeva Primmer

Research director
+358 29 525 1521
Published 4.3.2025 / Updated 18.3.2025