What kind of publications are included
This collection encompasses the evidence-based analytical papers of the Commission's research and innovation department, including in collaboration with other Commission departments.
Publications fall into 3 categories
- working papers - analytical reports to underpin research and innovation policymaking by the Commission
- policy briefs - short notes to inform discussions on research and innovation policy and stimulate debate
- quarterly research and innovation literature reviews - brief summaries of recent publications on economics and research and innovation policy.
Working papers
This paper compares public R&I funding across the EU, US, and China - the world's largest R&I spenders – over recent years and identifies five key findings and their policy implications for the EU.
WP2025/03 – This paper explores the impact of AI on scientific creativity, examining its use across 80 scientific fields from 2000 to 2022.
WP 2025/01 – This study explores the role of the EU Framework Programme (FP) in supporting and accelerating research and development, market uptake and diffusion within mRNA technology and green hydrogen.
WP 2025/02 – This paper examines the drivers of EU labour productivity before and after the 2007 financial crisis, across goods and services sectors, tangible and intangible assets, and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and non-ICT tangibles.
Policy briefs and papers
This policy brief aims to offer a deeper understanding of how R&D investments are structured, financed, and leveraged to enhance Europe’s long-term prosperity.
This policy brief shows how using the concepts of complexity and relatedness can enhance the design of more impactful, data-driven policies that foster growth and address societal challenges.
This paper details why investing in research and innovation is crucial for a competitive, sustainable, and fair Europe.
This paper details why investing in research and innovation is crucial for a competitive, sustainable, and fair Europe.
Literature review
This paper reviews recent scientific literature on the challenges of designing effective public policy for startups. It supports the EU’s renewed political focus on startups as key drivers of competitiveness, contributing to the work of the new EU Task Force for Startup and Scaleup.
This literature review provides short summaries of recent scientific articles discussing the challenges of 'greening research'.
Issue 2024/Q1-2 – This edition aims to explore alternative R&I funding models, such as lotteries, to investigate the arguments in favour or against these models.
Issue 2023/Q3-4 – This edition provides a comprehensive overview of the latest analysis on the importance of competitiveness and skills in the modern economy.
Issue 2023/Q2 – This edition provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of AI applications in research and innovation, ranging from opportunities and risks, to challenges.
Issue 2023/Q1 – This edition covers recent empirical evidence on the impact of R&I tax incentives on a wide set of firm level outcomes, spillover effects and cross-border effects.
Issue 2022/Q4 – This edition covers recent empirical evidence on the impact of EU innovation policies and instruments on a wide set of economic and scientific outcomes.
Issue 2022/Q3 – This edition covers recent empirical evidence and theoretical reflections on market concentration and R&I, investigating the current trend of rising market concentration, highlighting the main drivers and consequences for innovation outputs.
Issue 2022/Q2 – This edition covers recent empirical evidence and theoretical reflections on the financing of innovation, with a particular focus on the financing of green innovation.
Issue 2022/Q1 – This edition covers the implications of globalization, technological sovereignty and geopolitical tension for research and innovation
Issue 2021/Q4 – This edition covers recent empirical evidence on the role of technological change in transforming society
Issue 2021/Q3 – This edition covers recent empirical evidence on the role of education for R&I and how COVID-19 affected the human capital supply
Issue 2021/Q2 – This edition covers papers that focus on the role of research and innovation in the green transition
Issue 2021/Q1 – This edition focuses on the research and innovation response in times of crisis, and specific digital issues related to R&I
This year´s Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum focused on the COVID-19, the importance of global collaboration and the need to rebuild trust
Issue 2020/Q4 – This edition links businesses to research and innovation, with a focus on how R&I performance enhances productivity
Issue 2020/Q3 - The role, dynamics and policies of R&I investments in times of crisis and recovery, as drivers of prosperity, sustainability and wellbeing
Issue 2020/Q2 - This issue looks at the role of research and iinovation in the context of the COVID-19 crisis
Issue 2020/Q1 - This issue provides several insights on sustainability.