This year the ERC is going to publish a comprehensive report analysing the impact of the research it funded in its initial years, under the EU’s 7th Framework Programme from 2007 to 2013.   

“As we examine the findings of these ex-post evaluations, we gain invaluable insights not only into the impact of the ERC’s pioneering years, but also into the trajectory of future frontier research,”

said Jesper Svejstrup, vice president of the ERC Scientific Council.

The preview of the report presents key findings: 

• 20% of projects achieved groundbreaking scientific results and 58% contributed to major advances. Only a fifth showed incremental progress or no discernible scientific impact. 
   
• Over 70% yielding cross-disciplinary results, fostering collaborations between once-separate research fields.
   
• Institutions with few ERC grants are significant contributors to excellent scientific results, underscoring the importance of initiatives like the Visiting Fellowship Programme and the Mentoring Initiative to encourage applications from underrepresented regions.
   
• Nearly half of the projects made impact beyond scientific knowledge influencing industry, economy, society or policymaking.
   
• ERC-funded projects have led to diverse commercial products and startups, stimulated by Proof of Concept grants, some with market valuations exceeding €150 million.
   
• ERC-funded projects have provided scientific knowledge that sparked global debates on issues like social and economic inequality, immigration, food scarcity, fertility patterns, and climate change, contributing insights to policymaking bodies on topics ranging from financial crises to regulatory policies. 

 
See preview report for more data from the report and examples of impactful research projects.