On 10 November 2025, Switzerland signed the EUPA framework agreement with the European Union, which sets out the terms of its participation in European research and innovation programmes. The universities welcome this major step forward for Switzerland as a research hub. The EUPA is retroactive to 1 January 2025 and will remain in effect until 2028. For this reason, Swiss universities are reaffirming their commitment to stable and lasting relations with the European Union.
The European Union Programmes Agreement (EUPA) establishes the legal, financial and administrative framework enabling Swiss institutions, companies and research organisations to participate in European calls for projects, on the same terms as associated countries. It covers several programmes that are essential for Swiss research and innovation:
- Horizon Europe, the main framework programme for research and innovation (total budget of €95.5 billion), supporting fundamental research, emerging technologies and collaborative projects between universities, businesses and research centres
- Euratom Research & Training Programme, dedicated to civil nuclear research, safety and radioactive waste management
- Digital Europe Programme, which strengthens European capabilities in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, high-performance computing and the digital transition
- EU4Health, a programme dedicated to public health, the resilience of healthcare systems and biomedical innovation, from 2026 on
- Erasmus+, the European Union’s flagship programme for scientific collaboration, mobility and education, in which Switzerland will be able to participate from 2027 on
- specific initiatives such as ITER (fusion energy) and European thematic partnerships on climate, energy and sustainable mobility, from 2026 on
The agreement gives Swiss researchers and institutions the opportunity to lead and coordinate large-scale European projects, to act as leading partners in international consortia and to access excellent funding instruments such as European Research Council (ERC) grants, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), which promote mobility and training for young scientists, and the European Innovation Council (EIC) programmes, which support breakthrough innovation, start-ups and high-potential SMEs.
Universities for stable relations with the EU
The membership of the EUPA is retroactive: Switzerland’s participation is recognised as of 1 January 2025, ensuring legal and financial continuity for projects submitted during the transitional phase and immediate integration into existing European consortia. It will run until 31 December 2028, in line with the European budgetary framework for 2021–2027. Its future depends on the package of agreements with the EU, known as “bilateral agreements III”. This is why the Swiss universities are strongly committed to maintaining stable and lasting relations with the European Union.
Luciana Vaccaro, President of swissuniversities: “Switzerland’s return to the European research programmes marks a new momentum for its scientific community. It is up to all those contributing to Switzerland’s prosperity to ensure that this association endures through stable and lasting relations with the European Union.”