European partnerships and missions — instruments of the EU innovative transformation policy: implementation experience and opportunities for Ukraine

For science, technology and innovation (STI) to enable the transition to sustainable development, it must support new ways of partnership (between researchers, businesses, governments and citizens) and develop enabling resources (finance, skills and knowledge) that facilitate transformative change. The adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 has fostered new approaches to public-private partnerships (PPPs) in research and innovation (R&I). European Partnerships enable long-term cooperation (public-private and public-public) to address global challenges and modernise EU industry through joint action by Member States and other actors, including the private sector. European Partnerships have mobilised significant investments from various sources and created leverage on the R&I system within and beyond the EU. In 2024, 39 countries participated in 22 European Partnerships, including 28 EU Member States, 3 associated countries and 8 non-EU third countries. Another new approach to solving societal problems is the introduction of EU Missions. Mission-oriented innovation policy involves setting ambitious but achievable goals, attracting public and private resources, as well as the public, to achieve them. The experience of two years of five EU Missions operation has proven that the instrument can play a key role in societal transitions thanks to its ability to facilitate experimentation and coordination. The Missions have governance mechanisms and a budget at EU level, detailed implementation plans with public involvement, and leverage to attract additional funds. The post-war recovery of Ukraine’s economy requires transformations in the field of R&I, taking into account the infrastructure destruction of its research institutes. The conditions for Ukrainian researchers and innovators participation in European partnerships, as well as the experience of implementing EU Missions, are considered. The experience will be used by UkrISTEI to update the Roadmap for the use of STI for SDGs, which provides for the creation of missions in six areas of activity aimed at implementing the legislation of Ukraine on priority areas of development of science and innovation.