ICoRSA’s Chair, Dr Mikey Creane has been featured in a recent Science|Business article contributing to the hot topic debate on Europe’s struggles with AI sovereignty at a time when decisions shaping the next EU Framework Programme (FP10) are beginning to take form.
The article brings together voices from across the research and innovation landscape to address a pressing question: how can Europe remain open and globally competitive while responding to rising concerns around research security?
Europe at a Crossroads
As highlighted in the Science|Business piece, policymakers are increasingly focused on protecting sensitive knowledge and strengthening research security in response to geopolitical tensions. But this shift comes with trade-offs.
Experts warn that tightening controls too far could risk undermining Europe’s long-standing commitment to openness, one of the key drivers of its scientific excellence and international attractiveness.
ICoRSA’s Chair contributes to this discussion by reinforcing a crucial point: openness and collaboration are not weaknesses, but essential pillars of a thriving research ecosystem.
A Delicate Balance
The debate reflects a broader tension at the heart of European research policy discussion. On one hand, there is a need to safeguard strategic knowledge and ensure responsible international cooperation. On the other hand, maintaining mobility, collaboration, and academic freedom remains fundamental to innovation.
For organisations like ICoRSA, this balance is not abstract, it directly affects researchers’ careers, working conditions, and opportunities across Europe.
The issues raised in the article echo ICoRSA’s ongoing advocacy for sustainable and attractive research careers. Restrictions on collaboration, if not carefully designed, can have unintended consequences for researchers, international talent, and cross-border mobility.
At the same time, the research landscape itself is evolving rapidly. Researchers across both the public and private sectors are already making extensive use of AI tools. In fact, several scientific fields have long relied on forms of artificial intelligence, such as machine learning, well before the recent surge in attention surrounding generative AI. This underscores the importance of ensuring that policy responses remain grounded in the realities of how research is conducted today.
ICoRSA will continue to play an active role in these discussions, ensuring that the perspective of researchers remains at the center of policymaking.
ICoRSA would also like to acknowledge and thank the active contributions from NinTec, Max Planck PostdocNet, IrishRSA and UCCRSA.
