“Check against delivery”
Dear President, dear Emmanuel,
Honourable Dean,
Esteemed Professors,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honour to be here at the Sorbonne, surrounded by brilliant minds. Emmanuel, you once said that the Sorbonne is more than a university; it is an idea: an idea of scientific excellence, collaboration, and opportunity. Maria Skłodowska-Curie’s story perfectly illustrates this. In Poland, women were barred from universities, but Maria came to the Sorbonne to fulfill her dreams. She changed the world with her discoveries, becoming the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and showed that the freedom to learn and discover is essential. Today, more than ever, we need science to drive progress and foster cross-border collaboration.
Science is the key to our future in Europe. Without it, we cannot tackle global challenges such as health and technology. Europe must embrace science and invite the world to choose Europe for scientific research. We have a long history of scientific innovations, and with investments like Horizon Europe, we continue to lead. We support researchers worldwide and promote open collaboration. This is why Europe values scientific freedom highly.
Europe has everything needed for scientific success: investments, infrastructure, and collaboration. However, we must reduce bureaucracy and improve the path from research to market. Europe must be attractive to scientists and researchers, and that is why I am presenting the Choose Europe initiative today.
The first priority is to ensure scientific freedom and strengthen legislation. Additionally, I announce a new 500 million euro funding package for 2025-2027 to make Europe more attractive to researchers. We support the next generation of scientists and aim for 3% of GDP investment in research and development by 2030.
Furthermore, we want to accelerate innovation and reduce barriers for startups. We are making it easier for researchers to come to Europe and providing better support. Europe chooses a future of innovation and collaboration.
Europe has made its choice. We are choosing a new age of invention and innovation. We are choosing to place science and technology at the heart of our economy. We invite global talent to choose Europe because, as the history of the Sorbonne shows, progress thrives on freedom and collaboration. To every researcher and young person dreaming of a scientific career, we say: Choose Science. Choose Europe.