ALLEA Co-Hosted An Academy Executive Round Table on Funding for Cross-Border Collaboration at Falling Walls 2025

On 9 November 2025, the Falling Walls Science House in Berlin hosted an Academy Executive Round Table co-organised by ALLEA, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (BBAW), and the German Union of Academies (Akademienunion). The meeting brought together leaders from European science and humanities academies to discuss funding mechanisms and strategies for cross-border scientific cooperation.

The discussion focused on how European and national funding instruments can best support collaboration between academies, and how Horizon Europe could extend its impact beyond traditional project-based funding. Participants highlighted the need for sustained investment, stronger coordination across the European Research Area, and enhanced support for early-career researchers, including mobility and networking opportunities.

Beyond funding, the round table emphasised the broader role of academies in safeguarding academic freedom, promoting research integrity, fostering interdisciplinarity, and strengthening dialogue between science, policy, and society. The importance of supporting the next generation of researchers and building international networks was also underscored, alongside the value of humanities and social sciences in contextualising research and communicating its societal impact.

The round table was moderated by Prof. Dr. Christoph Markschies, President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, and attended by ALLEA Vice-President Annette Grüters-Kieslich; Godelieve Laureys, President of the KVAB – Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts; Mark Walport, Vice-President of The Royal Society; Beate Wagner, Managing Director of the Global Young Academy; Joachim von Braun, President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences; Mircea Dumitru, Vice-President of the Romanian Academy; Marileen Dogterom, President of the KNAW – Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen; and Yadin Dudai, Head of the Science Section at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

The meeting concluded with agreement that strengthening collaboration, supporting researchers, and renewing the role of academies are essential for Europe’s ability to innovate and respond to global scientific and societal challenges.