As the Trump administration ramps up what academics call a “war on science,” US researchers are increasingly looking to Europe for new opportunities — which could be good news for the continent’s tech sectors.
France, in particular, is positioning itself as a safe haven for scientists. In a not-so-subtle appeal to disaffected US talent on Friday, the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, called on researchers to “choose France, choose Europe” for their next job. In a post on X, he promoted a new platform that aims to make it easier for international scientists to conduct research in the country.
“Here in France, research is a priority, innovation a culture, science a limitless horizon,” he said.
Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist, called Macron’s announcement a “smart move.” LeCun has previously criticised Trump’s cuts to science funding at institutions such as Harvard, Columbia, and NASA.
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“The US seems set on destroying its public research funding system,” he said in a LinkedIn post last month. “[Europe] may have an opportunity to attract some of the best scientists in the world.”
European institutions are already seizing that opportunity. Last month, France’s Aix-Marseille University opened applications for its Safe Space for Science scheme, which specifically targets US researchers looking to relocate. Belgium’s Vrije Universiteit Brussel has opened a similar programme targeting American scientists “under threat.”
Europe’s appeal to refugees from a war on science
Three out of four US researchers recently surveyed by Nature said they were thinking about relocating to Europe or Canada, driven by growing concerns over President Trump’s stance on science.
An exodus of US researchers could have knock-on impacts on Europe’s tech ecosystem. Many of the continent’s most successful startups — from DeepMind to ClimeWorks — emerged from university labs.
Kanika Chandaria, a climate expert at Danish carbon credit startup Agreena, told TNW that the exodus of US researchers presents a “strategic opportunity for European countries,” especially in climate tech.
With the US rolling back climate protections, European countries could move to “attract top talent and position themselves at the forefront of climate research and technology development,” she said.
However, while Europe hopes to lure in disillusioned US scientists with promises of a high quality of life and research freedoms, there are potential drawbacks to relocating. LeCun highlighted several of them, including lower compensation than in the US and limited access to research funding.
“To attract the best scientific and technological talents, make science and technology research professions attractive,” he wrote. “It’s pretty straightforward.”
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