Enough of the hot air

Politicians must act on their warm words for research and innovation

Few researchers will be naive enough to think that what politicians say is what they really believe. Nevertheless, there is something particularly egregious about the growing gulf between the rhetoric on the importance of research and innovation to Europe’s broader aims and the reality of the lack of political commitment to these endeavours.

Speaking just before launching a renewed partnership on a climate technology fund with businessman and philanthropist Bill Gates at the COP26 UN climate change conference last week, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen stressed the importance of research in mitigating the worst effects of global warming.