EU's Von der Leyen Announces 500 Mln Euro Package to Lure Top Researchers to Europe

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the "Choose Europe for Science" conference at the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University in Paris, on May 5, 2025. (Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes / POOL / AFP)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday a 500 million euros ($566.6 million) incentive package to boost European science research, as Europe hopes to lure top US scientists disgruntled with President Donald Trump.
"Science is an investment – and we need to offer the right incentives. This is why I can announce that we will put forward a new 500 million euros package for 2025-2027 to make Europe a magnet for researchers," she said at a speech in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
"We are choosing to put research and innovation, science and technology, at the heart of our economy. We are choosing to be the continent where universities are pillars of our societies and our way of life," she added.
She also said she wanted EU-member states to invest 3% of gross domestic product in research and development by 2030, Reuters reported.
Last month, Macron and Von der Leyen said they would be looking to invite scientists and researchers from the world over to Europe, at a time when Trump's administration is threatening to cut federal funding for Harvard and other US universities.
In April, France also launched the "Choose France for Science" platform, operated by the French National Research Agency (ANR), which enables universities, schools, and research organizations to apply for co-funding from the government to host researchers.