European Innovation and Research Days 2025: EURAS Shaping Research Through Collaboration
On European Innovation and Research Days 2025, EURAS highlights how a parent-driven initiative has grown into a Europe-wide research project, showing the future of science shaped by families and researchers together.
A Day to Celebrate Europe’s Research Spirit
Every year, European Innovation and Research Days (16 – 17th September 2025) shine a spotlight on Europe’s leadership in science, innovation, and collaboration. In 2025, the day carries a special weight. At a time when global challenges demand fresh ideas, Europe shows how research can be both ground-breaking and deeply human.
EURAS embodies this spirit. What began as the determination of parents of children with RASopathies has grown into a Europe-wide research project uniting scientists, clinicians, and families. More than a study, it is a movement showing what can happen when research comes together with families.
Families at the Heart of European Research
The uniqueness of EURAS lies in its origins. Instead of starting with a laboratory hypothesis, it began with families wanting to make a difference. Their voices helped to shape a consortium that now spans 16 partner institutions across eight countries, combining cutting-edge science with lived experience.
This approach is more than symbolic. By placing patients and families at the centre, EURAS accelerates discoveries and ensures that breakthroughs remain grounded in real-world needs. It is a model of the future — research built not only for people, but with them.
Partner Contributions: Innovation in Action
Across the consortium, each partner brings vital expertise — from bioinformatics and clinical research to patient engagement and technology development. Together, these pieces form the mosaic of EURAS progress. One example comes from the University of Turku (UTU-TBC), where researchers at the Turku Bioscience Centre are working to identify neuronal response perturbations in RASopathies and explore drug repurposing approaches. Their work illustrates the strength of EURAS: advanced science guided by patient needs and integrated into a shared European platform.
As Michael Courtney, Team Leader of UTU-TBC, explains when discussing the project, “EURAS demonstrates how Europe’s research ecosystem can deliver science that is both excellent and transformative, precisely because breakthroughs are driven by a combination of ambition with collaboration across disciplines, institutions, and borders, with patients and their families at the core”.
Shaping the Future of European Research
On this year’s European Innovation and Research Days, EURAS is more than a project update — it is proof of what is possible when Europe invests in research rooted in collaboration. A project born from parents now stands as an example that science and society do not have to walk separate paths.
Stay connected with EURAS as we continue building bridges between families and research, showing how European innovation can lead the way to a better future for all.
