European Commission proposes strategy to boost industrial leadership in advanced materials

European Commission proposed an encompassing strategy to move towards EU industrial leadership in advanced materials, a crucial technology for green and digital transition.

Advanced materials are intentionally designed and engineered materials to provide superior performance or special functions. They are fundamental for innovation in energy, electronics, construction and mobility, and thus important for the green and digital transition.

The demand for advanced materials is expected to increase significantly in the coming years, for production such as renewable energy, batteries, zero-emission buildings, semiconductors, medicines and medical devices, satellites, space launchers, planes or for other dual-use applications as well as defense equipment.

European Commission proposed a strategy on advanced materials to support green and digital transition.

The strategy aims to enhance the EU’s long-term competitiveness, supporting development, testing and deployment capacities of new material technologies. The Communication on Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership proposed actions along five main pillars, including:

• Strengthening the European research and innovation ecosystem on advanced materials.

• Fast-tracking innovative materials to the market, including to develop a “materials commons”, a European digital infrastructure for advanced materials research and innovation. This will accelerate the design, development and testing of new advanced materials in a controlled environment, also using AI.

• Increasing capital investment and access to financing. The EU will set up a new partnership with the industry under Horizon Europe, aiming at EUR 500 million of investments for 2025-2027, with at least EUR 250 million coming from private sources.

• Fostering the production and use of advanced materials, including procurement for innovation, standard setting and the launch of an Advanced Materials Academy.

• Creating a Technology Council for advanced materials to provide advice on the steering of this initiative with Member States, countries associated to Horizon Europe and industry.