… as a driver for the twin green and digital transition

The publication of the draft Materials 2030 roadmap – to be presented on June 29 during the INDTECH 2022 Conference – stands as the first significant milestone in the initiative triggered by the presentation to the EU Commissioner for Research & Innovation, Mrs Mariya Gabriel, of the MATERIALS 2030 Manifesto.

Advanced materials are key enabling technologies to deliver the solutions to reach climate neutrality, circularity and sustainability, meaning that enhanced circularity and responsible practices should systematically be part of each and every development, focusing on sustainable and safe advanced materials. Also, Europe realizes its dependency on other regions for its strategic value chains and now wants to reinforce its autonomy and preserve its technology leadership. These goals can only be achieved by collectively re-inventing the way advanced
materials are developed, produced, processed, used and, in the end, re-used, recycled or up-cycled.

Over the past months, with the support of the European Commission, the European Technology Platforms EUMAT, SUSCHEM and MANUFUTURE, and EMIRI – the Energy Materials Industrial Initiative – joined forces with the signatories of the Manifesto to elaborate a draft of the Materials 2030 Roadmap, the first milestone towards a fruitful systemic collaboration involving all the advanced materials stakeholders (upstream developers, downstream industries, citizens and all stakeholders in between).

This draft Materials 2030 Roadmap will pave the way toward a structured European Materials 2030 Initiative for Planet, People, and Prosperity. It should form the basis for developing a solid European strategic materials agenda. The set-up of transparent, inclusive and balanced governance of the targeted Materials 2030 initiative, involving all relevant stakeholders, will also be critical.

The draft roadmap highlights common levers and tools for accelerated development of advanced materials (digital technologies, new manufacturing technologies,…). It identifies, among key innovation markets, priority R&I areas, and further pinpoints synergies to be developed with major policy initiatives, such as the Safe and Sustainable by design framework and the Strategic Research and Innovation Plan for Chemicals and Materials (SRIP), for advanced materials to achieve the European Green Deal targets.

All interested stakeholders are invited to contribute to setting up the Materials 2030 initiative that ill implement a co-created strategic European materials agenda and associated actions.

The draft Materials 2030 Roadmap and the proposed next steps towards a structured Materials 2030 initiative will be discussed during the upcoming INDTECH 2022 conference.

More practical information on the next steps and how to get involved will be available in the coming weeks. Stay tuned…!