COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership
Date: 2024-02-27
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission
Subjects: EU industrial policy, EU office or agency, advanced materials, financing, industrial research, innovation, investment, new technology, production aid

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 27.2.2024  COM(2024) 98 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership  
 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

With this Communication the Commission sets out a European strategy to ensure industrial 
leadership in advanced materials, a key enabling technology. Materials have shaped human 
development  ever  since  the  stone  age.  Thanks  to  today’s  scientific  understanding  and 
computing  power,  materials  with  a  superior  performance  or  special  functions  can  be 
developed  with  unprecedented  speed.  These  intentionally  designed  and  engineered 
materials are referred to as advanced materials by the OECD (1).  
Advanced  materials  are  an  important  factor  for  the  competitiveness  of  European 
industries (2) and are crucial building blocks for the EU’s resilience and open strategic 
autonomy. They are included in the list of 10 critical technology areas for the Union’s 
economic security (3). 

Advanced materials offer a wealth of solutions for a successful implementation of the 
European Green Deal. They drive innovations in new clean energy technologies provided 
for in the Net-Zero Industry Act and have the potential to substitute certain Critical Raw 
Materials (CRMs), thus contributing to the objectives of the CRM Act. Advanced materials 
can  also  replace  hazardous  substances,  improve  the  environmental  performance  of 
products and processes, and facilitate circularity. They therefore enhance the transition of 
our  economy  and  industry  in  many  ways;  contributing  to  the  chemicals  strategy  for 
sustainability, the circular economy action plan and the implementation of the ‘Fit for 55’ 
legislation. They are also essential in the context of the Chips Act given their role in the 
next generation of semiconductor technologies. Advanced materials also play a paramount 
role in areas such as space and defence, with enhanced properties in harsh environments, 
increasing the safety, security and protection of personnel and allowing the functionality 
of  equipment  and  strategic  infrastructure.  They  also  have  potential  applications  in 
agriculture (such as for the replacement of pesticides), agri-food (such as for packaging) 
or in pharmaceuticals and healthcare. This Communication will be complemented by the 
forthcoming initiative on biotech and biomanufacturing in the move towards alternative 
feedstock to produce advanced materials and increase the use of renewable sources and 
materials for their production.  

(1) Advanced materials are understood as materials that are rationally designed to have (i) new or enhanced properties, 

and/or (ii) targeted or enhanced structural features with the objective to achieve specific or improved functional 
performance. This includes both new emerging manufactured materials (high tech materials), and materials that 
are manufactured from traditional materials (low tech materials). OECD working description on advanced 
materials https://one.oecd.org/document/ENV/CBC/MONO(2022)29/en/pdf   

(2) Materials 2030 Manifesto https://www.ami2030.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/advanced-materials-2030-

manifesto-Published-on-7-Feb-2022.pdf 

(3) Critical technology areas for the EU’s economic security for further risk assessment with Member States, C(2023) 

6689 final 

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The  demand  for  advanced  materials  is  expected  to  significantly  increase  in  the 
coming  years (4),  for  instance  for  the  production  of  renewable  energy (5),  batteries (6), 
zero-emission buildings (7), semiconductors (8), medicines and medical devices, satellites, 
space launchers, planes, or for other dual-use applications as well as defence equipment.  

Europe needs to deliver on the twin transition to maintain its global industrial leadership 
and achieve open strategic autonomy. To contribute to this objective, the EU should: (i) 
accelerate its research and technology development in advanced materials; (ii) scale 
up  its  innovation  and  manufacturing  capacity;  and  (iii)  accelerate  the  industrial 
uptake of advanced materials. This requires the creation of an environment that builds 
on existing strengths, retains research and innovation investments and production in the 
EU,  and  drives  competitiveness,  resilience  and  growth  in  advanced  materials  and 
manufacturing. 

The overall objective of this Communication is therefore to create a dynamic, secure 
and inclusive ecosystem for advanced materials in Europe that both ensures leadership 
in research and fast-tracks innovations to the single market. To achieve this:  

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

EU, national and regional priorities on research and innovation for advanced 
materials must be coordinated in a European approach and private investments 
substantially increased;  

innovators  and  small  and  medium-sized  companies  must  be  supported  to 
design  and  test  materials  with  superior  performance  and  properties  for 
circularity and sustainability;  

the larger-scale and more rapid deployment of advanced materials must act as 
market  catalysts  for  the  twin  transition  and  increase  EU  resilience  and 
economic security.  

2.  CHALLENGES  FOR  CREATING  AN  INCLUSIVE  ECOSYSTEM  FOR  ADVANCED 

MATERIALS 

To meet these objectives Europe needs to address the following challenges: 

(1) 

Fragmentation of the research and innovation (R&I) ecosystem: The EU has 
traditionally  led  the  world  in  materials  science,  enabled  through  both:  (i)  strong 
support under national programmes covering different application domains; and (ii) 
the  EU  framework  programmes  for  R&I.  However,  only  a  small  minority  of 
Member States have specific materials  strategies, while others address  materials 
research in general national programmes. In the absence of a joint and coordinated 
strategy, public resources on R&I in advanced materials are fragmented and do not 
sufficiently  strengthen  EU  competitiveness  and  innovation  capacity  in  the  twin 
transition and for EU resilience.  

(2) 

Private investments are not commensurate to increasing needs: The Green Deal 
industrial  plan  underlines  the  need  for  the  EU  to  ensure  its  capital  markets  can 

(4) Supply chain analysis and material demand forecast in strategic technologies and sectors in the EU – A foresight 
study, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, doi:10.2760/386650, JRC132889 

(5) European Wind Power Action Plan, COM(2023) 669 final 
(6) https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/batteries_en  
(7) https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/12/07/fit-for-55-council-and-parliament-reach-deal-

on-proposal-to-revise-energy-performance-of-buildings-directive/   

(8) Chips Act (EU) 2021/694 

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support the volume and variety of funding needed by EU companies in strategic 
sectors.  The EU industrial R&I investments on advanced materials are not even 
half of those in the United States of America (EUR 19.8 billion investment in 2020 
compared to EUR 50.3 billion), closely followed by South Korea and Japan (with 
EUR  19.6  billion,  EUR  14.0  billion  respectively),  with  lower  investments  by 
Chinese  industry  (EUR  7.7  billion(9).  Moreover,  the  EU’s  global  position  in 
industry-owned patents is weakening and ranks fifth, behind the US, Japan, South 
Korea and China in 2019(9).  

A  lack  of  progress  in  circularity  and  material  efficiency:  The  EU  circular 
material use rate is currently stagnating below 12% (10) and R&I on materials is 
still  not  focusing  enough  on  circularity,  for  example  due  to  lack  of  in-depth 
knowledge  of  material  flows.  Sustainability  and  circularity  are  important  to 
enhance 
to  maintain 
competitiveness of our companies on the global market. They are key to achieve 
the  goals  of  the  Ecodesign  for  Sustainable  Products  Regulation  and  the  Critical 
Raw  Materials  Act.  New  advanced  materials  should  strive  to  be  ‘safe  and 
sustainable by design’ (11) to achieve the Green Deal’s ambitions for zero pollution 
and a toxic-free environment. 

transition  of  our  economy  and 

industry  and 

the 

Long innovation processes and an insufficient level of digitalisation: The time 
needed to develop advanced materials with conventional methods can take between 
10  and  30  years (12).  The  digitalisation  of  research  and  development  has  the 
potential  to  accelerate  the  discovery  of  innovative  materials,  and  Europe  could 
benefit from better exploitation of digital tools in this area. For example, the power 
of artificial intelligence recently helped researchers to predict nearly 400,000 stable 
crystal  structures,  paving  the  way  for  significant  progress  in  the  fields  of  clean 
energy and electronics (13). The speed and complexity of innovation is increasing, 
and significant capital investment is required to upscale and manufacture advanced 
materials.  

Disconnect between innovative research and uptake in industrial applications 
and  processes:  The  gap  between  groundbreaking  research  and  industrial 
application  leads  to  limited  collaboration  and  strategic  alignment,  hindering  the 
integration  of  advanced  materials  into  industries.  Without  strong  links  and 
synergies between industrial needs and research ambitions, the European Union's 
position  as  an  innovation  leader  is  at  risk,  leaving  industries  struggling  to  use 
advanced materials solutions. 

A lack of testing and experimentation facilities: Technology infrastructures with 
facilities for experimentation, prototyping, testing and piloting help bring products 
to  the  market  faster.  Tech  industries,  notably  start-ups  and  Small  and  Medium 
Enterprises (SMEs) often cannot afford in-house infrastructure and therefore need 
better access to such facilities to be able to validate and optimise new and essential 

Industrial  R&D&I 
innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/8f77caee-3a2c-4ef9-8ca2-65fd6c900581_en. 
advanced materials investments excluding the pharmaceutical sector.  

investments  and  market  analysis 

in  advanced  materials  https://research-and-
industrial 

Figures 

include 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(9) 

(10) Eurostat https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/circular-economy/monitoring-framework  
(11) Establishing a European assessment framework for ‘safe and sustainable by design’ chemicals and materials (EU) 

2022/2510 

(12) Muench, S., Stoermer, E., Jensen, K., Asikainen, T., Salvi, M. and Scapolo, F., Towards a green and digital future, 

Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2022, doi:10.2760/54, JRC129319 

(13)  Peplow,  M.,  Google  AI  and 

join 
doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03745-5, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03745-5  

to  build  new  materials,  Nature,  2023, 

robots 

forces 

3 

 
 
(7) 

(8) 

technologies  before  commercialisation.  To  spread  excellence  across  Europe  and 
support  broader  participation  in  the  European  Research  Area,  it  is  important  to 
connect  existing  infrastructures  in  different  regions  and  support  their  smart 
specialisation (14).  

Need  for  harmonised  standards:  Standards  are  particularly  relevant  in:  (i) 
building investor and consumer trust and confidence in new innovative solutions; 
and  (ii)  enabling  digitalisation.  For  example,  progress  in  the  digital  transition  is 
hampered  by  proliferation  of  diverging  approaches  to  digitalisation,  e.g.,  data 
description and formats. To promote market uptake and ease the regulatory process, 
it  is  equally,  important  to  ensure  the  harmonisation  of  standards  for  materials 
characterisation,  materials  performance  and  safety  and  sustainability  assessment 
methodologies.  

A lack of skills:  Increasing  the innovation capacity and production of advanced 
materials  requires EU-based technical  skills  of researchers and workers  across a 
variety of disciplines. However, labour and skills shortages, as reported under the 
Green  Deal  industrial  plan (15),  doubled  between  2015  and  2021  in  sectors 
considered  key  for  the  green  transition.  This  is  amplified  by  the  under-
representation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 
(STEM) sub-fields that are highly relevant for advanced materials. Increasing the 
pool of professionals is especially relevant for deep and clean tech, skilled founders 
are needed for start-ups (16), as well as for upskilling researchers and workers in 
making use of digital tools, including AI. 

Against  this  background,  this  Communication  is  structured  around  five  pillars:  (i) 
European R&I on advanced materials: a launchpad for the twin transition, EU resilience 
and  open  strategic  autonomy;  (ii)  fast  track  from  lab  to  fab;  (iii)  increasing  capital 
investment  and  access  to  financing;  (iv)  fostering  the  production  and  use  of  advanced 
materials; and (v) the overall governance framework.  

3.  EUROPEAN  R&I  ON  ADVANCED  MATERIALS:  A  LAUNCHPAD  FOR  THE  TWIN 

TRANSITION, EU RESILIENCE AND OPEN STRATEGIC AUTONOMY  

To accelerate the deployment of clean technologies and deep tech innovation in Europe, 
achieving  EU  resilience  and  open  strategic  autonomy  in  critical  technologies,  targeted 
public and private funding for blue sky and applied research plays a key role. This calls 
for defining between EU Member States, Associated countries and stakeholders common 
objectives and priorities to: (i) foster innovation and manufacturing capacity on advanced 
materials;  (ii)  strengthen  the  European  scientific  and  industrial  base;  (iii)  reduce 
dependencies on critical resources and (iv) seek synergies on activities related to advanced 
materials across all sectors. 

Europe  will  benefit  from  an  inclusive  ecosystem  for  advanced  materials  in  which 
stakeholders can work together, scattered and uncoordinated initiatives are avoided, and 
knowledge sharing and peer-learning activities are encouraged. 

A joint strategic approach will also facilitate dynamic coordination and alignment on key 
objectives. Such a joint strategic approach will promote cooperation, mutual learning and 

(14)  https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/policy/communities-and-networks/s3-community-of-practice_en 

(15)  A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age, COM(2023) 62 final 
(16) Tübke, A., Evgeniev, E., Gavigan, J., Compañó, R. & Confraria, H.: Leveraging the Deep-Tech Green Transition 
& Digital Solutions to Transform EU Industrial Ecosystems, European Commission, Seville, 2023, JRC133774 

4 

 
 
the development of mutually beneficial R&I strategies for advanced materials. As part of 
the  activities  of  the  Technology  Council  (see  section  7),  and  in  line  with  the  Horizon 
Europe  strategic  planning  process,  the  Commission  will  work  with  Member  States  and 
countries  associated  to  Horizon  Europe  to  draw  up  a  set  of  common  objectives  and 
priorities for advanced materials R&I, starting with energy, mobility, construction and 
electronics as preliminary priorities to be extended regularly to other areas depending on 
common  needs  identified.  Table  1  exemplifies  for  these  preliminary  selected  areas  the 
corresponding  research  and  innovation  priorities.  Annex  1  provides  a  full  outline  of 
corresponding  research  and  innovation  priorities,  developed  with  Member  States  and 
industry stakeholders. The criteria for selecting these and possible future areas include the 
capacity  to  reduce  emissions  and  resources  use,  enhance  energy  efficiency,  improve 
recyclability as well as their relevance to reduce EU’s dependencies, strengthen resilience 
and increase competitiveness. Once common priorities will be agreed, Member States will 
be  encouraged  to  coordinate  strategies,  taking  into  account  their  national  and  regional 
endowments,  and  ensure  complementarity  with 
the 
implementation.  

the  agreed  priorities  for 

Table 1 Preliminary R&I priorities for strategic areas, see annex for more details. 

Strategic 
area 

Energy 

Mobility 

Advanced materials R&I priorities 

Materials needed for  conversion and generation  of renewable  and low 
carbon energy, energy storage and increased energy efficiency 

Materials for energy storage  and use, robust,  lightweight  materials  for 
transport  means  and  assets,  protection  and  durability,  circularity  and 
environmental performance, ability to perform in harsh environments 

Construction   Materials  for  more  energy  efficient  buildings,  more  robust  building 
structures  and  structural  integrity  monitoring,  enhanced  wellbeing  in 
buildings, materials increasing circularity and improved environmental 
performance 

Electronics  Materials  for  improved  performance  and  new  functionalities  of 
electronic  components,  sensors,  novel  computing  concepts,  chips 
production, greater efficiency in the next generation of communication 
technologies and ability to perform in harsh environments 

One of the key strategies is the substitution of CRM and reduction of their use, in order to 
improve  material  efficiency  and  reduce  dependencies  on  critical  resources.  The 
Commission will seek to identify what R&I is needed to help promote the substitution 
of CRMs with alternative advanced materials. The substitution analysis will be performed 
in close collaboration with the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) Plan Implementation 
Working  Groups  addressing  materials.  It  will  be  aligned  with  substitution  needs  as 
identified  in  the  Critical  Raw  Materials  Act,  and  benefit  from  the  Raw  Materials 
Information System (17). 

The Commission and Member States will: 

•  define  common  objectives  and  priorities  for  R&I  investments  for  advanced 
materials and develop by the end of 2024 a joint strategic approach for advanced 

(17) RMIS - Raw Materials Information System (europa.eu), https://rmis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ 

5 

 
 
materials to support EU twin transition, resilience and open strategic autonomy, 
to  be  updated  regularly  to  take  into  account  socio-economic,  scientific  or 
technological developments. 

•  update regularly the priority areas to take into account socio-economic, scientific 
or technological developments, or following the further identification of common 
needs for joint action. 

The Commission will: 

•  identify additional R&I needs for the substitution of Critical Raw Materials with 

advanced materials with first results in Q1 2025. 

4.  FAST TRACK FROM LAB TO FAB 

Following the objectives of the Green Deal industrial plan, the New European Innovation 
Agenda, Digital Europe and the EU Economic Security Strategy, activities in the current 
chapter  aim  to  accelerate  the  scale  up  and  manufacturing  capacity  (from  lab  to  fab)  of 
advanced materials, addressing all the stages of development of advanced materials. The 
aim is to help boost digitalisation, improve access to testing and experimenting facilities, 
creating a paradigm shift that shortens the overall innovation process and time to market 
for innovation on advanced materials.  

An overarching goal is to create a long term sustainable European digital infrastructure 
for advanced materials R&I, the materials commons (18). This digital infrastructure will 
help  researchers  and  innovators  to  significantly  accelerate  the  design,  development  and 
testing of new advanced materials in a controlled environment, supported by AI tools. The 
material commons must be trustworthy for all stakeholders, including researchers, research 
organisations,  industry  and  SMEs,  and  based  on  FAIR (19)  principles.  It  will  take  into 
account safety and sustainability by enabling access to data and tools based on technologies 
such as artificial intelligence. To help build the materials commons, the Commission will 
join efforts with Member States, and will explore the possibility of launching a European 
Digital  Infrastructure  Consortium (20).  It  will  build  on  experience  acquired  with 
research  infrastructures  and  the  European  Open  Science  Cloud  (21)  (EOSC)  and  ensure 
efficient synergies with European data spaces such as the Manufacturing Data Space and 
EOSC,  with  national  strategies  and  initiatives,  such  as  MaterialDigital  (22)  and  Diadem 
(23),  and  with  EU  funded  projects  like  BIG-MAP  (24)  which  develops  a  materials 
acceleration platform for batteries. The materials commons will foster common materials 
taxonomies,  ontologies  and  data  interoperability,  while  also  supporting  both  the  virtual 
design of materials and the digitalisation of manufacturing processes. To create synergies 
and opportunities for spin-ins, this European Digital Infrastructure Consortium should be 
accessible across sectors. 

(18)  Materials 2030 Roadmap  
https://www.ami2030.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2022-12-09_Materials_2030_RoadMap_VF4.pdf 
(19) Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable 
(20) Establishing the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030, (EU) 2022/2481  
(21) https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-2020-2024/our-digital-future/open-science/european-

open-science-cloud-eosc_en  

(22) https://www.materialdigital.de/  
(23) https://www.cnrs.fr/en/pepr/pepr-exploratoire-diademe-materiaux   
(24) https://www.big-map.eu/ 

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Provisions  under  the  Data  Act  and  the  Data  Governance  Act  set  the  ground  for 
interoperability  between  different  platforms,  such  as  those  mentioned  above.  These 
provisions  should  enable  the  connection  of  R&I  digital  spaces  with  sectorial  and 
regulatory data spaces. Achieving a circular economy requires optimised interoperability 
among data infrastructures to promote in-depth knowledge on material flows. Furthermore, 
the  ability  to  trace  materials,  components,  and  products  based  on  factors  such  as 
composition,  qualities  or  grades  will  be  essential  for  appropriate  identification  and 
classification. The forthcoming digital product passport will contribute to this traceability 
goal. 

Technology  infrastructures,  including  open  innovation  test  beds  (OITBs)  and  digital 
innovation  hubs,  play  a  key  role  in  helping  to  commercialise  innovation  in  advanced 
materials (25). These technology infrastructures offer facilities, equipment and capabilities 
with  which  industrial  players  can  explore  new  products,  processes  and  services,  while 
ensuring compliance with EU regulations. Currently there are OITBs operating in the areas 
of energy, construction and electronics. The mobility sector could also benefit from OITBs 
to  assess the recyclability,  durability and safety of advanced materials. The Chips  Joint 
Undertaking  has  launched  calls (26)  for  pilot  lines  for  cutting-edge  and  next-generation 
semiconductor  technologies  where  materials  are  addressed  as  a  key  innovation  driver. 
However, an analysis identified large regional differences in terms of financial support, 
fragmentation,  risk  of  duplication  and  transnational  access  difficulties  for  companies 
across Europe seeking to access technology infrastructures (27). To address these issues a 
single-entry catalogue will be launched online to provide guidance to companies on how 
to access existing technology infrastructures supported by the Commission and Member 
States, including also the services they provide. This online catalogue will also make it 
easier for technological industries and SMEs to access the testing facilities and encourage 
networking  among  technology  infrastructures.  The  central  website  will  also  include 
information on financial support available at EU and national level. An analysis of industry 
needs will be carried out, with the objective of identifying gaps and proposing, where 
needed, new technology infrastructures relevant to advanced materials.  

To encourage the further deployment and industrial uptake of Horizon Europe results in 
the  field  of  advanced  materials,  dedicated  outreach  activities,  including  matchmaking 
events for industry and academia, will be regularly organised as part of Horizon Europe 
dissemination and exploitation activities. 

The Commission and Member States will: 

•  develop  a  long  term  sustainable  European  digital  infrastructure  for  advanced 
materials R&I, - the ‘materials commons’- by mid-2025, aimed at accelerating the 
R&I processes for advanced materials.  

The Commission will: 

•  help innovators and SMEs to access relevant technology infrastructures, by 2024, 
with  a  single-entry  catalogue  for  testing  and  upscaling  innovative  advanced 

(25) https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/0aaf1e05-2082-11ee-94cb-01aa75ed71a1/language-

en/format-PDF/source-289339785  
(26) https://www.chips-ju.europa.eu/Pilot-lines/ 
(27)  Technology 

infrastructures  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/0df85f8b-7b72-11e9-9f05-

01aa75ed71a1  

7 

 
 
materials  focusing  in  particular  on  the  key  areas    identified  in  the  annex;  and 
examine with stakeholders  the possibility of funding new OITBs for applications 
of advanced materials related to mobility. 

5. 

INCREASING CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND ACCESS TO FINANCE 

The increase of public and private funding and investment for research and deployment of 
advanced  materials  will  be  key.  The  Commission  will  explore  the  whole  set  of  tools 
available  to  increase  and  facilitate  investments  and  develop  innovative  funding 
possibilities bringing together public and private resources.  

To  strengthen  the  EU’s  strategic  cooperation  with  industry,  a  new  co-programmed 
public-private partnership ‘Innovative Materials for EU’ has been proposed under 
Horizon  Europe  (28).  This  partnership  should  offer  the  opportunity  to  unlock  private 
capital,  doubling  the  EU’s  expected  contribution  of  EUR  250  million  for  2025-2027, 
allowing to scale and accelerate the deployment of advanced materials.  

Important  projects  of  common  European  interest  (IPCEI)  enable  Member  States  to 
cooperate in breakthrough innovations or large-scale infrastructure projects in key sectors 
and technologies, funded from their national budgets, preserving the integrity of the Single 
Market  and  respecting  EU’s  international  obligations.  An  IPCEI  could  cover  the  first 
industrial deployment of new technologies but not mass production. In autumn 2023 the 
Commission  has  set  up  the  Joint  European  Forum  for  IPCEI  (JEF-IPCEI).  The  forum, 
which is a partnership between the Commission and Member States, aims to increase the 
efficiency and effectiveness of IPCEIs as an instrument for industrial competitiveness, by 
(i) aligning potential new IPCEIs with the  EU’s objectives or strategies such as the EU 
industrial strategy, and (ii) improving the process, speed, design and implementation of 
IPCEIs, according to State aid rules. The JEF-IPCEI will explore the opportunity of IPCEIs 
for developing advanced materials with a view to leverage more funding for first industrial 
deployment of R&I results through public and private investments. (29).  

The Innovation Fund (30) aims to bring to the market solutions to decarbonise European 
industry and support its transition to climate neutrality, with a budget of EUR 40 billion 
available from 2020 to 2030 (assuming a carbon price of EUR 75/CO2). In the context of 
the  manufacturing  of  clean  technologies  equipment  (renewable  energy  installations, 
including their connection to the grid, electrolysers and fuel cells, energy storage solutions, 
and  heat  pumps),  the  Fund  can  support  the  manufacturing  of  materials  (except  mining 
materials)  that  contribute  significantly  to  the  reduction  of  GHG  emissions.  Selected 
projects so far address, for instance, lightweight solar panels, innovative roof components 
for buildings, or thermoplastic lignin production. Activities relating to recycling or reusing 
critical materials to be used in clean technologies equipment or components thereof can 
also supported by the Fund, with the current open call providing EUR 4 billion for net-
zero technologies (31).     

(28) https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/commission-proposals-new-

candidate-european-partnerships-are-now-public-2023-07-17_en  

(29) At the JEF-IPCEI technical meeting of 26 January 2024, Member States were invited to examine potential IPCEIs 

on areas advanced materials. 

(30)  What  is  the  Innovation  Fund?  -  European  Commission  (europa.eu),  https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/eu-

funding-climate-action/innovation-fund/what-innovation-fund_en 
(31) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_23_5948  

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The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) (32) is expected to enter into 
force in March 2024. STEP aims to boost investments in critical technologies across the 
digital,  clean  and  biotech  sectors.  Advanced  materials  are  anticipated  to  be  part  of  the 
scope. Investments are expected to be carried out using existing funding instruments, such 
as  the  Horizon  Europe  Programme,  the  European  Defence  Fund,  InvestEU  or  cohesion 
policy  funds  and  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  plans.  The  first  projects  funded 
under STEP can be expected towards the end of 2024.  

The European Innovation Council (EIC) work programme (33) for 2024 continues to 
support innovation in advanced materials innovation with EUR 132 million related to the 
twin transition. The work programme also plays a key role in nurturing the EU innovation 
ecosystem  for  advanced  materials.  The  2024  work  programme  includes  the  EIC 
Challenges  addressing  relevant  innovation  in  the  areas  of  concrete  production, 
nanomaterials, and solar-to-x technologies as well as scale up innovations in the areas of 
quantum  components  and  renewable  energy  sources.  The  EIC  brings  together  large 
corporations  with  start-ups,  scaleups  and  research  projects,  integrating  innovation  on 
advanced materials directly into their business models.  
The European Enterprise Network (34) will facilitate connections with  potential funding 
partners via matchmaking events. Additionally, it will continue to help innovative SMEs 
by  disseminating  information  about  relevant  European/national  legislation,  as  well  as 
about  national/regional/European  funding  and  support  programmes,  through  workshops 
and training sessions. 

InvestEU is the EU’s instrument for catalysing private investments in EU priority areas, 
making  it  well  placed  to  boost  investments  in  advanced  materials  within  the  EU.  The 
European Investment Bank already approved in 2023 an Invest EU operation (35) for a fund 
that will invest in early-stage hardware companies with focus on innovation in advanced 
materials. 

The Capital Markets Union (CMU) aims to open new sources of funding for businesses 
and to  improve the access  to  finance, especially  SMEs, thereby providing  an important 
potential source to finance private investment in advanced materials. This should benefit 
innovative companies investing in advanced materials.  

The  Global  Gateway (36)  sets  out  a  climate-neutral  strategy  to  speed  up  sustainable 
development,  by  investing  in  developing  infrastructures  that  are  clean,  climate-resilient 
and aligned with  pathways towards net  zero emissions, while providing a level  playing 
field for potential investors. Advanced materials are crucial to achieve such objectives, and 
the Global Gateway offers opportunities to increase their deployment at international scale. 
The Global Gateway Business Advisory Group will serve as a forum to have a strategic 
exchange with private sector representatives. In addition, advanced materials will also be 
put  on  the  agenda  of  bilateral  Global  Gateway  exchanges  with  Member  States,  the 
European Investment Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.  

(32) https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/eu-budget/strategic-technologies-europe-platform_en 
(33) https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-2024-work-programme_en 
(34) https://een.ec.europa.eu/  
(35)https://www.eib.org/en/products/egf/index?sortColumn=projectsSignedDate&sortDir=desc&pageNumber=0&item
PerPage=10&pageable=true&la=EN&deLa=EN&orCountries=true&orBeneficiaries=true&orWebsite=true  

(36) See JOIN(2021)30 

9 

 
 
The Commission and industry will: 

•  mobilise under a co-programmed Horizon Europe partnership EUR 500 million, 
of  which  industry  should  contribute  at  least  EUR  250  million  to  match  the  EU 
contribution;  

The Commission and Member States will: 

•  work  closely  within  the  Joint  European  Forum  for  IPCEI  on  potential  IPCEIs 

related to advanced materials; 

The Commission will: 

•  boost the development and scale up of advanced materials with EIC support and 

investments, fostering start-ups engagement into advanced materials; 

•  reinforce,  leverage  and  steer  public  and  private  investments  in  technology 
development and deployment for advanced materials through EU instruments, in 
particular the Innovation Fund, STEP and InvestEU. 

6.  FOSTERING THE PRODUCTION & USE OF ADVANCED MATERIALS 

The use of advanced materials must be promoted to improve the Union’s resilience and 
competitiveness  and  achieve  circularity,  materials  efficiency  and  overall  sustainability 
targets. To enable industry to produce these new advanced materials, there is a need for 
adequate  standards  to  facilitate  industrial  uptake  and  an  increase  of  the  pool  of  skilled 
professionals.  Advanced  materials  demand  can  be  reinforced  through  informed 
procurement and engagement of regional players.  

By  creating  stable  public  demand  and  opening  up  markets  public  procurement  has  a 
crucial role to play in fostering the uptake of advanced materials. Public procurers can play 
a leading role in driving innovation and should assess the value added of new enablers like 
advanced materials for the twin transition and EU’s resilience and economic security. For 
instance, the 2023 Energy Efficiency Directive (37) requires that public procurers should 
only  purchase  products,  services,  buildings  and  works  offering  high  energy  efficiency 
performance. More generally, the EU Public Procurement Directives allow contracts to be 
awarded not  only  based on lowest  price, but  also  on other criteria linked  to  the subject 
matter  of  the  contract,  such  as  improved  performance  /  functionalities  provided  by 
advanced materials.  

The  Commission  also  launched  its  “Big  Buyers  Working  Together” (38)  project  to 
support collaboration between public buyers with strong purchasing power and to promote 
the  wider  use  of  strategic  public  procurement  for  innovative  and  sustainable  solutions. 
Sharing information about advanced materials within the “Big Buyers Working Together” 
and advising public procurers on how to make them safe, sustainable and fit for circularity 
can help to open new markets more quickly and reduce the costs of available innovations. 
By  working  together  and  pooling  their  resources,  cities,  central  purchasing  bodies,  and 
other major public buyers can maximise their market power. 

(37) Energy Efficiency Directive, (EU) 2023/1791 
(38) https://public-buyers-community.ec.europa.eu/about/big-buyers-working-together  

10 

 
 
There is also a need to analyse the production and use of advanced materials within the 
European  industrial  sectors  and  Single  Market.  The  set  up  of  a  dedicated  monitoring 
process will help to identify leading innovations and technologies, analyse supply chains, 
and assess the potential economic impact and contribution of these materials to the twin 
transition, EU resilience and competitiveness. It will determine, categorise, and measure 
the  evolution  and  uptake  of  advanced  materials  innovation.  It  will  offer  insights  into 
Europe’s  position  in  the  global  landscape  of  advanced  materials,  enabling  an  in-depth 
comparison with key global players such as the US and China. Such monitoring process 
should be performed in cooperation with the proposed new Horizon Europe public-private 
co-programmed partnership “Innovative Materials for EU. 

Standards  offer  a  basis  for  the  integration  of  technologies  into  complex,  innovative 
systems  and  solutions. Standards  enable  interoperability  between  components,  products 
and  services,  mitigating  vendor  ‘lock-in’  and  providing  more  choice  for  customers 
globally. The Commission Recommendation for a Code of Practice on Standardisation (39) 
is key to strengthening the link between research, innovation and standardisation. The pilot 
Standardisation Booster(40) provides services to Horizon Europe projects to increase the 
uptake  of  new  technologies  resulting  from  standardisation  activities.  To  promote  the 
adoption of EU and international standards for advanced materials, the Commission will 
including 
recognised 
collaborate  with 
CEN/CENELEC/ETSI,  ISO  including  through  the  proposed  new  Horizon  Europe  co-
programmed partnership “Innovative Materials for EU”. The objective is to systematically 
identify  existing  standards  and  identify  gaps  and  resulting  priorities  and  to  launch 
standardisation requests based on the analysis.  

standardisation  bodies 

internationally 

It is important to ensure that innovations in advanced materials are compliant with existing 
regulations and fit for purpose, this makes it necessary to put in harmonised methods and 
assessment tools for the characterisation and testing of advanced materials. It is also 
important for these harmonised methods and assessment tools to have gained regulatory 
acceptance. When developing a product, it is key that manufacturers are also aware - as 
early  as  possible  -  of  the  regulatory  requirements  that  concern  them,  such  as 
requirements  on  the  protection  of  human  health  and  the  environment  as  well  as 
recyclability. A major challenge in this area is that advanced materials can have unique 
properties that are not necessarily well understood in the context of existing toxicological 
or environmental studies. For these reasons, it is also relevant that regulators are informed 
and  understand  the  latest  innovations.  For  example,  the  upcoming  sustainability 
requirements  under  the  Ecodesign  for  Sustainable  Products  Regulation  will  consider 
innovation on advanced materials innovations and support the uptake of these innovations. 
For this uptake to be successful, adequate tools and methods to describe and share relevant 
information need to be in place.  

In line with the Commission Communication on making the most of the EU’s innovation 
potential (41) it is important to analyse the identified challenges in the area of patents, and 
more  generally  the  protection  of  intellectual  property  rights,  specifically  for  the 
advanced materials sector where a new study published on R&I industrial investments (42) 

(39) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32023H0498&qid=1678171117168   
(40) https://www.hsbooster.eu/ 
(41) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0760  
(42) 

Industrial  R&D&I 
innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/8f77caee-3a2c-4ef9-8ca2-65fd6c900581_en 

investments  and  market  analysis 

in  advanced  materials  https://research-and-

11 

 
 
shows the EU is losing ground in this area. It is therefore essential to encourage developers 
of advanced materials to make best use of the guidance for knowledge valorisation. To 
build better insight into the reasons for EU weaknesses in patenting, the Commission will 
perform an analysis of the patent landscape and the needs of industry. This analysis 
will also explore the need for an intermediary to centralise and manage scattered patent 
rights in the field. 

New  skills  are  needed  in  the  areas  of  innovative  methods,  tools  and  the  design  and 
development of new materials. Skills in this area are specially needed in materials science, 
chemistry,  engineering  and  information  technologies.  Multidisciplinary  skills  are  also 
needed. These skills need to be identified and to feature in national education and training 
systems.  This  includes,  for  example,  the  development  and  promotion  of  corresponding 
curricula and vocational education and training programmes for upskilling the future and 
current  workforce.  Efforts  should  be  made  in  particular  to  harness  women’s  talent  by 
addressing 
in  Science,  Technology,  Engineering,  and 
Mathematics  (STEM)  studies.  In  the  same  vein  this  is  also  relevant  for  persons  with 
disabilities. The Pact for Skills is playing a central role in preparing workers for the jobs 
of tomorrow, including in sectors using advanced materials, by bringing together public 
and private organisations to upskill and reskill people in the skills in demand.  

their  under-representation 

A  competitive  call  between  the  different  Communities  of  the  European  Institute  of 
Innovation and Technology (EIT) will be launched in  2024 for the  establishment of an 
Advanced Materials Academy, which in total receive a seed-funding of EUR 10 million. 
The proposed action responds to New European Innovation Agenda (43) Flagship 4 on deep 
tech talents and follows the patterns of the Net Zero Industry Academies. The academy 
will develop curricula equipping the next generation of material scientists with the new 
skills required, offering as well support to the education and training providers and develop 
credentials  for  voluntary  use  by  Member  States.    It  will  cooperate  with  Centres  of 
Vocational Excellence to provide high quality skills leading to employment and career-
long opportunities, as well as with Member States and the European University Alliance 
to facilitate the uptake of new curricula in national education systems.  

The Commission will:  

•  mobilise  the  “Big  Buyers”  community  management  authorities  under  regional 
funding  and  players  in  the  global  gateway  to  stimulate  advanced  materials 
innovation markets through public demand;  

•  launch an Advanced Materials Academy with the European Institute of Innovation 
and Technology based on a competitive call  in 2024, to accelerate the development 
of curricula and credentials for skills in the sector;  

•  improve the development and setting of standards on advanced materials for areas 
and  cross-cutting  characteristics  listed  in  the  annex  in  collaboration  with 
CEN/CENELEC/ETSI and ISO in 2024; 

(43) https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/support-policy-making/shaping-eu-research-and-innovation-

policy/new-european-innovation-agenda_en  

12 

 
 
 
•  launch studies to perform an in-depth analysis of production and use of advanced 

materials, as well as of the patent landscape by 2025. 

7.  OVERALL GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK  

Advanced materials are designed, developed and used in many different applications and 
across  scientific  and  industrial  sectors.  A  coordinated  approach  involving  the  different 
actors in  Europe be they from  academia, industry,  funders or policy makers, requires a 
common  reference  body.  Equally  the  implementation  of  the  actions  listed  in  this 
Communication  requires  a  strategic  steer  by  Member  States  and  industry  players  at  all 
levels  to  both  successfully  agree  upon  the  details  of  the  actions  and  oversee  their 
implementation.  

The Commission will therefore set up a Technology Council for advanced materials (44). 
This Council will be composed of Member States (ministries in charge of research and 
sectorial/industrial  policy),  research  and  industrial  stakeholders  and  the  European 
Commission.  It  will  provide  advice  on  the  European  advanced  materials  ecosystem, 
support the identification of common objectives and priority areas for coordinated action 
in advanced materials, responding to the first action announced in this Communication, 
taking  into  account  all  relevant  activities  on  advanced  materials  in  the  EU.  It  will  also 
ensure  adequate  participation  of  countries  associated  to  Horizon  Europe  and,  where 
relevant,  other  third  countries  with  which  the  EU  has  concluded  Strategic  Partnership 
Agreements. The Technology Council will involve social partners and integrate knowledge 
from the relevant Industrial Alliances, the European Industrial Forum, the Strategic Energy 
Technology (SET) Plan groups and relevant Horizon Europe partnerships.  

Additionally,  the  Technology  Council  for  advanced  materials  will  discuss  and  build 
synergies with regional innovation valleys, which aim at the development and deployment 
of  mature  innovation;  with  smart  specialisation  strategies  (S3)  under  the  European 
Regional Development  Fund, and the S3 Community of Practice thematic partnerships, 
under which regions identify their competitive advantages, their unique strengths and their 
capabilities to strengthen their capacity for high-quality R&I (45). 

The  Technology  Council  will  also  discuss  international  partnerships,  by  nurturing 
excellence and global leadership in advanced materials through dialogue and cooperation 
with  partner  countries.  The  EU  has  association  agreements  as  well  as  cooperation 
agreements  in  science  and  technology,  with  countries  that  have  strong  expertise  in  this 
area. Further engagement can be sought with other countries in well targeted areas. These 
agreements will be based on reciprocal openness, the upholding of fundamental values and 
level playing fields, notably through Horizon Europe and its successor throughout whole 
R&I  cycles,  as  set  out  in  the  Global  Approach  to  Research  and  Innovation 
Communication (46). Advanced materials are also covered by the annex to the Commission 

(44)  To this end the Commission will set up an expert group in accordance with the Commission Decision 

of 13 May 2016, C(2016)3301 final. 

(45) The area of advanced materials has been identified by several Member States and regions as a S3 priority in the 
2021-2027 period. For example, Greece has a thematic priority on “Materials, Construction & Industry” and Austria 
a priority on ‘Materials and intelligent production’. At regional level, advanced materials are S3 priorities, e.g., in 
West Netherlands (NL), Skåne County (SE), Bucharest (RO). These priorities translate into specific projects: Latvia 
has launched a project on Smart Materials, Photonics, Technologies, and Engineering Ecosystem, and Slovenia has 
the  MATPRO  project  focusing  on  materials  and  their  production  to  create  value  chains  and  networks  for  joint 
developments in this field.  

(46) Global Approach to Research and Innovation, COM (2021) 252 final 

13 

 
 
Recommendation on critical technology areas for the EU's economic security for further 
risk assessment. In line with the Economic Security Strategy, measures taken can address 
the need to protect, promote or partner.  

The Technology Council will consider all available evidence, including outcomes of the 
analysis performed on monitoring the production and use of advanced materials.  It will 
also assess the possibility for the Commission or Member States to establish regulatory 
sandboxes (47), 
the  process  of 
authorisation/certification for placing advanced materials in the market.  

the  way  for  simplification  of 

that  can  pave 

The Commission will: 

•  set up the Technology Council on advanced materials in 2024, to advise on steering 
this  initiative with Member  States, Countries Associated to  Horizon  Europe and 
industry. 

8.  CONCLUSIONS  

Advanced materials are essential for Europe’s prosperity, open strategic autonomy and for 
the  green  and  digital  transition.  While  the  EU  still  holds  a  strong  position  in  material 
science, other key players are strategically increasing their investments in this area and are 
well  placed  to  adopt  and  deploy  with  scale  and  speed  technologies  based  on  advanced 
materials.  

This  Communication  systematically  addresses  the  EU’s  advanced  materials  ecosystem 
through  a  combination  of  14  mutually  reinforcing  actions  accompanied  by  a  concerted 
strategy at EU, Member States and industry level. The proposed actions address the entire 
value creation, spanning from early-stage research to deployment and market uptake. To 
design, develop, produce and use advanced materials in Europe, the strategy proposes a 
dynamic  and  inclusive  materials  ecosystem,  involving  Member  States,  researchers, 
innovators and industry. 

Together these actions will pave the way for :  

a)  a  more  coordinated  and  responsive  European  ecosystem  for  advanced  materials 

leveraging public and private investments in strategic areas; 

b)  new  economic  opportunities  for  EU  companies  relying  on  these  critical 

technologies or willing to test them in their innoavtion process; and  

c)  a larger-scale and more rapid deployment of advanced materials as market catalysts 
for the twin transition, reinforcing EU resilience and open strategic autonomy.  

(47) As foreseen under the Net Zero Industry Act and the New European Innovation Agenda 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX 

This  annex  provides a preliminary list  of  research and innovation priorities which have 
been identified through consultation with Member States as particularly relevant for joint 
action in the area of advanced materials for a successful European twin green and digital 
transition: energy, mobility, construction and electronics. This list of priority areas will be 
updated  regularly  to  take  into  account  socio-economic,  scientific  or  technological 
developments, or following the further identification of common needs for joint action. 

The  inherent  qualities  of  advanced  materials  make  it  indeed  possible  for  them  to  drive 
innovation characterized by the principles of: Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, 
Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recycle, Renew and Recover. These priorities should help to 
meet  industrial  and  societal  needs  as  identified  in  this  communication,  aligned  with 
political priorities.  

I.  Energy 

Needs 
conversion/generation, storage, distribution and transmission grid and renewable fuels.   

four  categories:  energy 

to  be  determined 

this  area  are 

for 

in 

a)  Renewable and low carbon energy conversion and generation: this may include 
advanced  materials  to  improve  the  durability  of  devices  to  convert  renewable 
improve 
energy  sources 
environmental  operating  conditions 
improve 
conversion efficiency in different RES (e.g., photovoltaics panels, wind turbines or 
heat pumps).  

impermeability; 
resistance); 

(RES);  catalysts;  coating  and 

(e.g.,  corrosion 

b)  Energy storage systems: this may cover advanced circular and more sustainable 
materials for energy storage technologies like electrochemical technologies (e.g., 
batteries  and  supercapacitors),  thermal  and  thermochemical  technologies  (e.g., 
phase change materials), or chemical ones. 

c)  Energy  distribution  and  the  transmission  grid:  this  may  concern  advanced 
materials to increase the efficiency and capacity, reliability and durability of the 
energy  distribution  and  transmission  grid  (e.g.,  high  performance  coatings 
protecting infrastructures against corrosion, friction, icing or other solutions with 
alternative materials).  

d)  Renewable fuels: this may cover advanced materials to produce sustainable fuels, 
like renewable fuels of non-biological origin and synthetised fuels, addressing the 
environmental footprint. One of the main challenges is to develop catalysts that are 
sufficiently active, stable, and low in cost to produce renewable fuels or chemicals 
in large quantities and at low cost. 

II.  Mobility  

Needs for this area are to be determined in four categories: energy storage needs for 
transport modes, lighter and more robust means of transport and infrastructures and 
greater circularity and improved environmental performance. 

a)  Energy-storage  and  alternative  fuels  for  different  means  of  transport.  For 

example:  

•  advanced batteries (e.g., solid-state) characterised by higher efficiency, 
reduced  environmental  footprint  in  their  production,  reduced  use  and 
sustainable substitution of critical raw materials, improved safety profile, 
better  durability,  performance,  higher  energy  density,  and  greater 
recyclability;  

15 

 
•  fuel  cells  systems  for  hydrogen,  ammonia  and/or  methanol  with  much 
higher efficiency and focus on waste heat recovery solutions; electrolysers; 
catalysts. 

b)  Advanced  high-performance  materials  for  lightweight,  able  to  perform  in 
harsh environments, highly reliable and durable transport applications.  For 
example: 

•  advanced - lighter - materials that combine reduced energy consumption 
with increased safety (e.g., for vehicle occupants as well as for pedestrians, 
cyclists and other users);   

•  advanced  composite  materials  and 

for  vehicles, 
aerostructures  and  engine  components,  including  high-performance 
thermoplastics,  adaptive  systems,  multifunctional  requirements  (e.g., 
soldering or processes to reliably join different materials). 

structures 

c)  Increased  protection,  resilience  and  durability  for  transport  means  and 

infrastructures. For example: 

•  Coatings and paints, increasing their durability as well as decreasing fuel 
consumption  -  relevant  for  aerospace,  waterborne,  automotive  and  road 
markings; 

•  Hybrid  manufacturing  processes  (e.g.,  combining  extrusion-based 
additive 
joining 
technologies, surface treatments and automated quality inspection/control 
for large primary aerostructures and engine components. 

technologies  and  automated 

fibre  placement), 

d)  Increasing  circularity  and  addressing  environmental  performance  of 

materials. For example:  

•  better  materials  for  safe  and  sustainable  use  (e.g.,  recyclable  and/or 
biodegradable  composites,  batteries  and  electronics  uses  in  all  transport 
modes); 

•  new  materials  that  further  reduce  the  environmental  footprint  and 
increase the resilience of transport infrastructure (e.g., lower lifecycle 
impact, circular use, longer lasting/more resistant materials for roads/rail 
tracks, less impact on biodiversity; tyres and breaks with low particulate 
matter emission); 

•  cost-efficient  maintenance  and  repair  of  advanced  composites, 
superalloys,  coatings,  hybrid  and  adaptive  structures  for  transport 
applications. 

III.  Construction 

Needs  under  this  chapter  are  determined  under  four  categories:  improved  energy 
efficiency of buildings, more robust and longer lasting buildings, greater wellbeing in 
buildings, materials to improve circularity and address environmental performance. 

a)  Improving  energy  efficiency  in  buildings.  For  example:  composite  foams, 

thermal insulation and storage materials, integrated energy systems.  

b)  Making  buildings  structures  more  robust  and  longer  lasting  and  better 
monitoring of structural integrity. For example: composite materials including 
graphene-enhanced concrete, lightweight materials, new materials for 3D printing 
and  additive  manufacturing,  materials  for  pre-fabrication  and  modular 

16 

 
construction,  materials,  and  self-monitoring,  self-healing  or  self-protecting 
materials.  

c)  Greater wellbeing in buildings. For example: materials for increased comfort, 
noise reduction, materials for lighting, dynamic optically transparent and glazing 
technologies, 
electrochromic, 
thermochromic, gasochromic, photochromic materials, and anti-soiling, anti-ice, 
anti-slip, anti-corrosion or superhydrophobic treatments.  

oxide-based 

electronics, 

transparent 

d)  Materials  to  improve  circularity  and  address  environmental  performance. 
For  example:  novel  bio-based  coatings,  paint  formulations,  wood-based 
insulation,  adhesives  and  composite  materials  in  buildings,  and  addressing  the 
global  warming  potential  of  such  materials  linked  to  buildings  and  their 
deconstruction. 

IV. 

 Electronics  

Needs  under  this  chapter  are  to  be  determined  with  a  focus  on  chips,  electronic 
components and systems Needs will be identified under the following two headings: 

a)  Advanced materials for better performance, including specific characteristics 
to  perform  in  harsh  environments,  reduced  energy  consumption  and  new 
functionalities  of  electronic  components  (for  applications  in  different  areas). 
These  advanced  materials  should  also  cover:  sensors,  novel  computing  and 
memory  concepts,  power  electronics,  communication 
(including  signal 
transmission  and  thermal  management  for  the  next  generations  of  5G  &  6G 
networks  and  beyond),  flexible  electronics,  optoelectronics,  photonics  and 
quantum components. 

b)  Advanced  materials  for  new  chip  production  and  packaging  technologies, 
including  wafers  and  substrates  beyond  silicon  for  enhanced  efficiency  (for 
applications in different areas like energy, power and communication), enhanced 
durability, sustainability and circularity, and reduced dependency on CRMs. 

CROSS-CUTTING CHARACTERISTICS 

The  digitalisation  of  R&I  in  advanced  materials  (with  data  infrastructures,  digital 
modelling  tools,  common  data  analytics/ontologies  and  artificial  intelligence)  has  the 
potential to accelerate the discovery of new innovative materials by enabling the analysis 
of  vast  datasets,  enabling  the  interpretation  of  data  from  various  characterisation 
techniques,  improving  modelling,  and  by  suggesting  composition  or  structure  of  new 
materials. This will all serve to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness.  

At the same time, implementing the ‘Safe and Sustainable by Design’ concept will be at 
the core of the material transformation process. This is a paradigm shift towards advanced 
materials that contribute to safety and sustainability, while at the same time being cheaper 
and performing better under all environments. It includes efforts to substitute or reduce as 
much as possible substances hazardous for human health and the environment. Circularity 
is also key, and a particular challenge for complex materials mixtures; it is important to 
ensure that advanced materials at the end of their use can feed into secondary advanced 
materials,  reducing  both  the  pressure  on  supply  chains  and  the  overall  environmental 
footprint of materials.  

Other cross-cutting  elements  for consideration in  the priority areas are characterisation, 
instrumentation, metrology and manufacturing. 

17