What’s going on in Europe: 24 March to 6 April

This week: R&D spending, university innovation, regional competitiveness and more

R&D spending

EU leaders have recommitted to the bloc’s long-missed target to raise investment in research and innovation to 3 per cent of GDP. The target dates back to 2000, when it was intended to be achieved by 2010. But the EU’s actual investment has only crept up slowly over time, from just under 2 per cent in 2010 to a high point of 2.3 per cent in 2020. At a meeting of the European Council, leaders of EU member state governments called for work to increase investment in R&I to meet the public and private expenditure target of 3 per cent of GDP.