EARTO is the European trade association of Research and Technology Organisations. EARTO represents around 350 such organisations across Europe. EARTO is a non-profit international association established in Brussels, where it maintains a permanent secretariat. Its members make a major contribution to strengthening economic competitiveness and social development in Europe by supporting product, process and service innovation in all branches of industry and services, public and private.

Its mission to promote and defend the interests of RTOs in Europe by reinforcing their profile and position as a key player in the minds of EU decision-makers and by seeking to ensure that European R&D and innovation programmes are best attuned to their interests; to provide added-value services to EARTO members to help them to improve their operational practices and business performance as well as to provide them with information and advice to help them make the best use of European R&D and innovation programme funding opportunities.

The Association represents the interests of about 350 RTOs from across the European Union and “FP-associated” countries (91 direct members, some of which are associations regrouping several RTOs).

EARTO promotes and champions the interests of RTOs in Europe by reinforcing their profile as a key-player category in the minds of EU decision-makers, and by seeking to ensure that European R&D and innovation programmes are best attuned to their interests. The association also provides added-value services to its members to improve their professional practices and business performance, as well as information and advice about European R&D and innovation programme funding opportunities.