Marking 30 years of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), Mattias Björnmalm emphasised that the programme’s enduring success lies in its fundamental nature as a research careers programme—not merely a mobility scheme.
While its European and international dimension is strengthened by mobility, its deeper contribution has been systemic. Over three decades, MSCA has helped shape expectations, influence institutional practices, and establish a new normal for research careers in Europe.
Thirty years ago, international and intersectoral research careers were far less common. MSCA has played a decisive role in changing this. It has made it far more natural for researchers to move across countries, disciplines, and sectors. It has raised expectations for high-quality training, supervision, and structured career development. And it has helped define what excellent research environments for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers should provide.
This long-term impact underlines the significance of the programme’s 30-year milestone. In a European policy context where initiatives are frequently launched and discontinued, the continued relevance of MSCA across changing political priorities and leaderships is a strong signal of its value and resilience.
Looking ahead, Mattias stressed that the priority must be to protect and strengthen the elements that have made MSCA so successful: bottom-up research, excellent training, strong career development frameworks, and meaningful circulation of talent across Europe and beyond.
He also recalled a joint opinion piece with Manuel Heitor published nearly two years ago, which called on Europe to fully unleash the potential of MSCA. That message remains highly relevant in the current policy context, as Europe seeks to reinforce its research and innovation system under increasing global competition.
Mattias delivered these messages during the plenary opening panel “30 years of MSCA: Driving systemic change in the research landscape”, alongside Claire Morel (Head of MSCA Unit, European Commission) and Lidia Borrell-Damian (Secretary General of CESAER), and following a keynote by European Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva.
For further insights into CESAER’s work on research careers, talent, and the future of European research and innovation programmes, please consult our recent publications.
For more information, please contact the Secretariat.
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