The 2nd R&I Funders’ Coordination Meeting, hosted by the European Commission’s DG RTD in cooperation with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), brought together research and innovation (R&I) funding agencies from across the Euro-Mediterranean region for a high-level policy dialogue aimed at reinforcing coordination and developing joint actions.
Building on the Funders’ Roundtable of April 2024 and the Preparatory Meeting of June 2025, participants focused on advancing the implementation of the UfM Roadmaps on Climate Change, Health, and Renewable Energy. Discussions centred on improving synergies between bilateral and regional initiatives, scaling up existing actions, enhancing capacity development, and strengthening the science–policy interface.
A key outcome of the meeting was the agreement to identify bilateral cooperation in R&I and capacity building, as well as successful models and opportunities to build more impactful regional initiatives. Participants also called for improved communication among National Funding Agencies (NFAs), including the creation of a shared contact database, and highlighted the importance of raising awareness of UfM priorities within national programming.
The event concluded with a commitment to prepare a briefing document to support the mapping exercise and to organise a follow-up meeting focused on four priority areas: Bilateral Synergies, Scale-Up Activities, Capacity Development, and the Science–Policy Interface.
The meeting reaffirmed the value of open policy dialogue in driving coordinated and sustainable R&I cooperation across the Euro-Mediterranean region.