Human Values and Grand Challenges: SSAH Contributions to European Transformations and Resilience

Human values, such as dignity, freedom, equality and justice, are at the core of the EU and the European way of life. European innovation, to be successful, therefore must be based on these values, not on technological and economic progress alone. Climate change, poverty, the polarisation between members of society – the world’s grand challenges come with a strong human and social dimension, which must be considered. To build a prosperous future, people and their wellbeing should be placed at the centre of research and innovation. 

The knowledge produced by social sciences, arts and humanities (SSAH) is indispensable in this regard and must become an integral part of European research and innovation (R&I). A deeper integration of SSAH into future R&I programmes is required to inspire transdisciplinary research models that truly reflect the complex challenges of our age and help build and uphold more resilient societies. As the EU prepares the groundwork for its next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), many experts have been calling for SSAH to be better incorporated into the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10) and thus strengthen the backbone of an innovative and competitive Europe. 

Addressing the importance of human values and SSAH was the key focus of the Human Values and Grand Challenges conference, hosted by Aalborg University in collaboration with University of Southern Denmark and Copenhagen Business School on December 1-2, 2025, in Copenhagen as part of Denmark's Presidency of the Council of the European Union. During the public conference, stakeholders from academia, policy and industry came together to discuss how to achieve human-centric R&I. As well as generating momentum for a continued and increased inclusion of SSAH perspectives, the event explored how human-centric R&I can be translated into policy and practice, bringing forward recommendations on how to ensure human values are embedded into the EU’s R&I strategies. 

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