Europe’s next long-term budget will be decisive for Europe’s competitiveness. Horizon Europe’s Framework Programme 10 (FP10) and the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) must ensure that food and drink processing, Europe’s largest manufacturing sector, is recognised and supported as a strategic industrial and innovation ecosystem.
Policy asks
(1) Recognise food and drink production as strategic
The full agri-food value chain, including food and drink manufacturing and processing, should be clearly recognised in the design and implementation of FP10 and the European Competitiveness Fund’s. Food and drink manufacturing should be reflected in relevant funding windows, work programmes and priorities, and recognised as a contributor to competitiveness, resilience, food security, clean transition, digital leadership and strategic autonomy.
(2) Help small businesses
EU funding opportunities for food and drink innovation should be designed around the realities of food and drink businesses. This means simplified procedures, SME-friendly consortia rules, proportionate reporting requirements, and funding models that enable participation from all company sizes and regions.
(3) Modernise the industrial base
The European Competitiveness Fund should support not only frontier innovation, but also the modernisation of Europe’s food and drink manufacturing base. This means investing in physical assets such as production facilities, processing equipment and energy infrastructure; in digital and automation technologies including AI, robotics and data-driven production; and in solutions for resource efficiency, circular economy, food safety, traceability, sustainable packaging and reformulation.
(4) Strengthen partnerships, skills and regulatory coherence
Public-private partnerships and multi-actor collaboration are essential to avoid fragmented research, leverage industry expertise and accelerate uptake. FP10 should support a stronger food-specific partnership approach and networking activities linked to regional agri-food ecosystems.
Innovation uptake also depends on people. EU funding should be linked to skills development, lifelong learning, upskilling, reskilling and workforce adaptation, in line with the EU Agri-Food Pact for Skills.
