A growing group of over 120 scientists and innovators from across Europe has proposed reforms to help the continent better transform scientific discoveries into new technologies, products, and businesses. These efforts are highlighted in a recent Policy Forum published in Science, titled "Enhancing Europe's Competitiveness by Empowering Researchers as Innovators." The paper argues that current institutional and funding barriers are limiting the ability of Europe's scientific excellence to generate meaningful economic and societal impact. The initiative is led by INPACT!, a network launched in 2023 that brings together scientists and innovators from over 20 countries in the European research area. INPACT! combines researchers' firsthand experience with economic analysis of European funding programs to identify reforms that could strengthen the continent's capacity to translate research into innovation. In Italy, several institutions contributed to the discussion, including the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), IMT Lucca, and the Politecnico di Torino and Milano, as well as the Università Bocconi. The analysis focuses on Horizon Europe, the European Union's major research and innovation program for 2021–2027. The authors argue that funding is fragmented, and discoveries with commercial potential face administrative hurdles between the European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept grants and the European Innovation Council (EIC) programs, which support technology development and business growth. One key proposal is to integrate ERC Proof of Concept grants under EIC governance, creating a more continuous path from scientific discovery to commercialization. This change could reduce repeated evaluations, simplify transitions between programs, and provide more predictable support for researchers and investors. Dario Polli, a professor at Politecnico di Milano and one of the lead authors, emphasized that Europe has strong scientific talent but often fails to maintain momentum between discovery and application. He called for a more seamless pathway that allows promising ideas to transition from fundamental research to practical technologies and solutions that can drive economic and societal impact. The Policy Forum also highlights the need for stronger support for early-stage, high-risk innovation. Currently, combined annual funding for the EIC Pathfinder and Transition programs is around €500 million, but the program's management capacity is limited compared to similar agencies in the United States. The authors suggest reallocating resources to support breakthrough innovation and granting independent program managers more authority to guide promising projects. Giorgio Presidente, a researcher at Bocconi University, noted that Europe is stuck in a "middle-technology trap," focusing on mature industries like automotive and industrial machinery while lagging in frontier sectors such as AI and biotechnology. He argued that to boost competitiveness and strategic independence, Europe must rebuild the pipeline from research to market, fund the best ideas, and empower researchers to turn today's breakthroughs into tomorrow's high-tech industries. The authors also recommend streamlining the application process for European funding, focusing more on the substance of the idea and its potential use rather than lengthy bureaucratic procedures. They propose that national funding agencies make multiyear commitments to support excellent projects that pass European evaluations but cannot be funded from the EU budget, extending a model already used through the Seal of Excellence. Gianni Ciofani, co-author of the Policy Forum and a researcher at IIT, emphasized that Europe's research quality is not the issue—it is the conditions needed to translate discoveries into innovation and societal value. He called for supporting researchers not only in generating knowledge but also in protecting, developing, and transferring it, recognizing entrepreneurship and technology transfer as integral parts of the scientific mission. The authors stress that reforming funding alone will not be enough. Universities and technology transfer offices must also create environments where researchers can pursue innovation without being forced to choose between an academic career and entrepreneurship. The Policy Forum recommends greater recognition of entrepreneurship in academic careers, improved management of intellectual property, and clearer routes to patents, industrial partnerships, and spin-offs, along with better access to mentoring and entrepreneurial expertise. Amanda Silva Brun, director of research at the CNRS and a lead author of the Policy Forum, stated that a clearer, more structured pathway within institutions—complete with predictable timelines and streamlined procedures—could empower researchers to transform knowledge into practical solutions. She believes that embracing innovation can give new momentum to academic careers and help researchers play a strategic role in strengthening Europe's global competitiveness while addressing unmet societal needs.