CANBERRA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The peak body representing Australian universities has called for the federal government to sign up to a major European Union (EU) funding program for research and innovation.

Universities Australia said on Saturday that joining Horizon Europe would give local researchers access to a "mega-fund" that supports international collaborations on complex and difficult-to-solve problems and boost Australia's economic resilience.

Luke Sheehy, chief executive of Universities Australia, said in a statement that joining Horizon Europe would unlock productivity growth and social and technological progress.

"If we're serious about building a prosperous and productive economy, we need a seat at the table, particularly in a changing and more complex global environment," he said.

The program is the EU's key funding program for research and innovation with a budget of 95.5 billion Euros (108.7 billion U.S. dollars) for the current seven-year period through to the end of 2027. ■