As 2025 comes to an end, I find it useful to pause and assess what this year has meant for Plus Ethics—not only in terms of figures and outputs, but in terms of direction, maturity, and responsibility.
From an operational perspective, the organisation has remained highly active. We closed the year with 16 ongoing projects and 3 projects successfully completed, working across 8 European funding programmes, including EDF, INCIBE, Missions, ISF, CL3, CL4, CL4, CL6, and ERASMUS+. What stands out to me most, however, is the scale and diversity of collaboration: more than 300 partner organisations trusted Plus Ethics to contribute to their work. This level of cooperation is, in my view, one of the clearest indicators of institutional credibility.
Proposal development was particularly intensive in 2025. We were involved in a substantial number of submissions—most notably 35 proposals to Horizon Europe, alongside proposals to EDF, CERV, AMIF 2027, ERASMUS 2027, DIGITAL, and JUST 2027. Beyond the numbers, this effort reflects something more important: the expectation that ethics, legal analysis, and social impact are not peripheral, but central to how European projects are conceived and evaluated.
The year also required a strong physical and intellectual presence. Our team travelled over 45,000 kilometres to attend project meetings, conferences, and strategic discussions, and delivered more than 25 presentations at specialist forums. These moments of exchange are demanding, but they remain essential for maintaining relevance and for ensuring that our work is informed by real-world constraints and emerging policy debates.
In terms of outputs, 14 deliverables and 24 scientific publications were completed during the year. I see these not simply as contractual obligations, but as tangible expressions of how ethical and regulatory considerations can be translated into practical guidance, analytical frameworks, and evidence-based recommendations. Our podcast, which reached 1,800 followers in 2025, has also become an unexpected but valuable space for more open, critical reflection beyond formal project structures.
Looking back, I do not see 2025 primarily as a year of expansion, but as a year of consolidation. The organisation has taken on greater responsibility within consortia, engaged with more complex topics, and operated under increasing expectations. This brings with it both opportunities and the need for continued self-critique.
As we approach the end of the year and the holiday season, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our partners, collaborators, and colleagues for their trust, commitment, and shared effort throughout 2025. I wish you a restful Christmas period and my very best wishes for the year ahead.
Francisco J. Castro-Toledo
Director, Plus Ethics