We are living through a period of growing geopolitical uncertainty, rapid technological change and growing pressure to deliver a competitive and resilient energy system. In this context, research and innovation are no longer peripheral assets: they are central. As highlighted in both the Draghi and Letta reports, Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy fundamentally depend on strengthening its research and innovation capacity, particularly in strategic sectors like energy. Europe has reached a pivotal juncture where mounting urgency might redraw a more integrated, robust and mission-oriented political framework.

In light of these challenges, the EERA community has taken time to reflect on our guiding principles as we look toward this future. We have considered who we are, what we stand for, and the values that drive our work. This reflection has given us, as a mission-driven community, a clearer compass for navigating today’s increasingly complex landscape together and coherently. 

In recent months, we have collaborated across our network to refine our vision, mission and beliefs. This was not merely a branding exercise. It was a deliberate effort to articulate how Europe’s energy research community can operate with greater coherence and impact at a time when both are critically needed. The strength of EERA has always stemmed from its community, and this initiative has reaffirmed that principle, fostering greater cohesion. 

Why this matters for European energy research 

Europe faces a defining challenge: balancing competitiveness and economic security while accelerating the clean energy transition and building resilience against increasing external threats. Yet excellent research conducted in isolation cannot address these systemic challenges. Fragmentation – across technologies, across TRL levels, across national and European priorities – limits our impacts. 

EERA and its Joint Programmes constitute a powerful and unique defragmentation engine to bridge these gaps: coordinating cross cutting technologies and systemic topics, bringing together a range of TRL levels under one roof, and aligning national research strengths with European strategic priorities. Moreover, we focus our efforts on translating research insights into policy-relevant advice, coordinating efforts across borders, and ensuring that European energy research speaks with clarity, directionality, and authority at critical decision-making moments. At this critical juncture, amid ongoing negotiations regarding the next Framework Programme (FP10) and fundamental questions about Europe’s research and innovation strategy, a shared reference framework is essential. Our renewed vision, mission and beliefs provide exactly that: a common language, a unified narrative, and a clear articulation of the collective value EERA brings to European energy research and policy.

A shared compass for coordinated action 

Our refined vision describes our aspirational destination: the European energy system we aim to achieve. Our mission describes our current actions to reach that goal: how we coordinate research, translate scientific evidence into policy impact, and build the community that makes both possible. Our beliefs define how we work: the values and principles that guide us as a collaborative network. Together, these elements form a strategic compass. They enable us to align contributions across multiple, diverse and distributed European research communities, to communicate more effectively with policymakers, and to demonstrate more clearly the added value of cohesive and coordinated European energy research.

From principles to impact 

In the coming months, this framework will serve as a foundation for EERA’s narrative, shaping how we communicate our community’s research outputs and provide evidence-based recommendations to policymakers, and how we build impactful strategic partnerships. As Europe navigates an era in which competitiveness and resilience are paramount, the coordinated research and innovation EERA facilitates will enable excellent science to translate into measurable competitive advantage rather than remain stranded in fragmented silos. To stand up to this challenge, a clear, shared understanding of our core purpose and principles is essential. It is not an abstract exercise but rather the basis for the coherence, credibility and collective strength Europe’s multi-facetted energy transition demands.