On 27 February, the European Commission unveiled a new strategy to bolster European industrial leadership in advanced materials. These materials, designed and engineered with enhanced properties, are pivotal components in the energy, electronics, construction, and mobility sectors. Specifically, within the energy sector, advanced materials are crucial for renewable and low-carbon energy conversion and generation, energy storage, grid development, renewable fuels, and enhancing energy efficiency. Examples include metallic nanoparticles employed to improve energy conversion in solar panels and sodium-ion batteries used for energy storage, both playing integral roles in the clean energy transition.

In paving the way for a unified European approach and anticipating increasing demand, the European Commission’s Communication outlines concrete actions to align research and innovation (R&I) priorities and investments across the bloc, in line with the objectives set forth in the Net-Zero Industry Act and the Critical Raw Materials Act. The proposal notably aims to enhance EU competitiveness and reduce the bloc’s reliance on critical materials. Specifically, it addresses challenges such as insufficient investments, fragmentation within the R&I ecosystem, and lengthy processes. The publication also identifies additional shortcomings concerning circularity, access to testing facilities, standard harmonisation, workforce skills, and digitalisation.

The European Commission delineates five main pillars of action: strengthening the R&I ecosystem, accelerating the development of market-ready innovative materials, increasing investments and improving access to financing, fostering the production and use of advanced materials through innovation procurement, creating clear interoperability standards and workforce reskilling, and establishing an overarching governance framework via the constitution of a Technology Council, comprising member states, countries associated with Horizon Europe, and industry stakeholders.

The strategy also entails the establishment of a new public-private partnership under Horizon Europe entitled “Innovative Materials for EU”, with the potential to unlock €250 million in private investments, doubling the EU’s contribution between 2025 and 2027. It also proposes the creation, by mid-2025, of the “materials commons”, a European digital infrastructure to support researchers. Additionally, existing initiatives such as Important Projects of Common European Interest, the Innovation Fund, the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, and the European Innovation Council are identified as key drivers to boost the development of advanced materials.