CEPS joins new Horizon Europe programme to consolidate science diplomacy across Europe

Consolidating European Science Diplomacy (CUSP) is a new project funded under the Horizon Europe programme. Bringing together 11 expert organisations across Europe and beyond, it bridges fragmentation in science diplomacy across countries and institutions, turning Europe’s scientific strength into geopolitical influence.

Launched on 1 June 2026, CUSP will hold its first consortium meeting in Vienna, Austria, on 9–10 June. Coordinated by the Zentrum für Soziale Innovation (ZSI) and anchored in the EU Science Diplomacy Alliance, the project responds directly to the recommendations of the European Commission’s 2025 expert report on a European Framework for Science Diplomacy, as well as the Council recommendation on a new framework for science diplomacy adopted in the final week of May 2026.

The project in practice

Over the next three years, CUSP will work along three core lines:

Mapping Europe’s science diplomacy ecosystem: Producing an open, evidence-based picture of the actors, strategies, and initiatives that shape science diplomacy across Europe and globally.

Building an online European Science Diplomacy Hub: An open online platform serving as a central hub for European Science Diplomacy, convening ten thematic Working Groups and building engagement across Africa, Asia, the Arab States, Oceania, and the Americas.

Training and capacity-building: Developing a Competence Framework, curricula, and pilot training for diplomats, science counsellors, policymakers, and researchers.

The project will also organise a major project conference and five Impact Days to engage stakeholders.

“European science diplomacy has reached an inflection point,” says Elke Dall, coordinator of the project and Senior Expert at the Zentrum für Soziale Innovation. “Europe brings strong scientific and diplomatic capabilities that could contribute more effectively on the global stage if the efforts are better connected and aligned. CUSP is designed to facilitate this.”

“In a world where research and innovation increasingly shape geopolitics, equipping diplomats, policymakers, and researchers to navigate these intersections is essential.” 