Supporting the Next Generation of Researchers Across Europe
Scientific research plays a vital role in improving our daily lives—from advancing healthcare and developing new technologies to tackling climate change and strengthening our economy. Behind these innovations are researchers whose careers need the right support to thrive. Across Europe, countries and institutions are working to make research careers more attractive, inclusive, and sustainable, helping young researchers develop the skills needed to solve tomorrow’s challenges.
Creating Better Opportunities for Young Researchers
While every country has its own research system, many face similar challenges. Young researchers often encounter short-term contracts, limited career opportunities, and uncertain funding. To address these issues, countries are introducing initiatives that improve mentoring, career guidance, international mobility, and working conditions. For example, Austria promotes mentoring and international mobility, Ireland strengthens links between academia and industry, Slovenia provides structured support for doctoral researchers, Romania encourages early research independence, and Latvia invests in research infrastructure through European funding.
Universities also play a key role in creating supportive research environments. NextTechTalents project partners showcase several inspiring examples. Munster Technological University in Ireland offers transparent career pathways recognised through the HR Excellence in Research award and organises the Innovation Challenge, where researchers, students, and businesses collaborate on real-world solutions. Babeș-Bolyai University in Romania supports innovation through CS InnoHub, the TechTransfer Summer School, and strong international partnerships that help researchers develop entrepreneurial skills and expand their global networks. In Slovenia, the Jožef Stefan Institute provides doctoral researchers with employment contracts and full social security, ensuring stable conditions from the start of their careers. Meanwhile, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences in Latvia strengthens research through international collaboration and investment in research infrastructure.
From Universities to Industry: Building Stronger Research Careers
Research is also becoming increasingly connected with industry and society. Initiatives such as the Digital Transformation eXperience (DTX) in Cluj-Napoca bring together researchers, students, companies, and mentors to solve real-world challenges through hackathons and collaborative projects. These experiences help young researchers develop practical, entrepreneurial, and teamwork skills while increasing the societal impact of research.
These examples demonstrate that there is no single model for supporting research careers. Instead, successful research ecosystems combine strong institutions, international collaboration, innovation, and close links with industry to help researchers thrive. By sharing these best practices, the NextTechTalents project contributes to building a stronger European research community and investing in the people who will shape the innovations of tomorrow.
Links
LinkedIn channel: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nexttechtalents-project
X channel: https://twitter.com/NextTechTalents
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NextTechTalents-Project
EURAXESS:https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/
Keywords
NextTechTalents; early-stage researchers; research careers; European Charter for Researchers; ResearchComp; innovation; research ecosystems; academia-industry collaboration; career development; European Research Area (ERA)
