Sustainable development goals in the research and innovation policy of the European Union

Abstract

Leading the world towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an ambition of the European Union (EU) and an important objective of the European Commission's proposal for Horizon Europe: the EU framework programme for Research and Innovation (R&I) 2021–2027. The new orientation of the framework programme requires a new sustainability-oriented thematic agenda and a new approach to governance. Following the perspective of transition management, the paper argues that i) the success of EU R&I policy in its pursuit of SDGs will depend on the reflexivity of its governance, and ii) that foresight can build reflexivity into the governance of EU R&I policy. The paper provides insights in the shaping of Horizon Europe through the BOHEMIA project, a major foresight exercise that supported the preparation of the Commission proposal. The BOHEMIA project aimed at strengthening reflexivity in the policy preparation process and provided advice on both governance and potential thematic orientations for Horizon Europe. Its influence on the proposal and the extent, to which future oriented-reflexivity will characterize the implementation of Horizon Europe, can be seen as precursors of the prospects of the policy to contribute to sustainability transitions in Europe and the world.