Consolidating European Science Diplomacy (CUSP) is a new project funded under the Horizon Europe programme. Bringing together 11 expert organisations, including the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), 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."
The
consortium
CUSP
unites the following institutions across Europe and beyond:
Zentrum für Soziale Innovation
(ZSI)
Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und
Raumfahrt (DLR)
Charles University (Univerzita
Karlova)
Marie Curie Alumni Association
(MCAA)
United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Centre for European Policy
Studies (CEPS)
Aarhus University
Fundación Española para la
Ciencia y la Tecnología (FECYT)
Centro Internazionale di Alti
Studi Agronomici Mediterranei (CIHEAM Bari)
ENRICH Global
Consiglio Nazionale delle
Ricerche (CNR)
The
project is funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement
No. 101287256).
