The European Research and Innovation Days are the European Commission’s annual flagship research and innovation event, bringing together policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs and the public to debate and shape the future of research and innovation in Europe and beyond. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be fully virtual. At the heart of the European Research and Innovation Days is the policy conference. Wide-reaching plenary sessions situate pivotal issues on the international stage and explore the vital links between them. The rest of the conference is divided into 10 central hubs, each covering a central theme in EU research and innovation policy, from the European Green Deal to digitalisation and smart implementation.