2025 marks a significant milestone: 25 years since the launch of the European Research Area (ERA). Since its inception in 2000, ERA has played a transformative role in building a unified and competitive research and innovation landscape across Europe.
ERA’s vision was bold: to create a single market for research where researchers, scientific knowledge, and technology can circulate freely. Over the past quarter-century, it has driven strategic collaboration between EU Member States and strengthened Europe’s global position in science and innovation.
From joint research infrastructures to coordinated funding programmes and open science policies, ERA has facilitated cross-border collaboration and tackled major societal challenges. It has also promoted gender equality, researcher mobility, and better career development through instruments like EURAXESS and the European Charter for Researchers.
As we look to the future, the renewed ERA focuses on green and digital transitions, open science, and improving research careers. The upcoming ERA Policy Agenda continues this ambition, setting concrete actions to ensure Europe remains a leader in science, technology, and innovation.
Twenty-five years on, ERA is more relevant than ever. In an increasingly complex world, its mission—to strengthen cooperation, excellence, and impact—remains crucial for building a resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking Europe.