Advanced Materials 2030 Manifesto calls for collaboration, scaling use of advanced materials

By Carey Sargent, EPFL, NCCR MARVEL

On 7 February 2022, representatives from industry and research institutions signed the Advanced Materials 2030 Manifesto and presented it to Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, the current European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.

The manifesto aims to strengthen collaboration, scale the use of advanced materials, and underpin a European Materials ecosystem that “drives the green and digital transition as well as a sustainable inclusive European society through a systemic collaboration of upstream developers, downstream users and citizens and all stakeholders in between.”

The signatories of the Advanced Materials manifesto—representatives from STMicroelectronics N.V., the University of Oxford, Fraunhofer Group Materials, Commissariat à l‘énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Umicore NV / SA and the Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA) and their respective member organisations—identify four pillars they say should drive the vision and innovation of Europe’s scientists and materials designers: safeguarding Europe’s technology leadership; reducing the environmental footprint by using advanced materials; securing strategic autonomy and, finally, targeting advanced materials innovation markets.

“We call for a systemic approach to develop the next generation solution-oriented advanced materials which will offer faster, scalable and efficient responses to the challenges and thus turn them into opportunities for Europe’s society, economy and environment today and in the future,” the signatories said. “We recognize that “Blue sky research” and applied research both play an integral part in this approach.”

The signatories said they plan a series of actions in the coming months. This includes the establishment of a consolidated strategic roadmap in the next three to four months and a novel European strategic agenda for a sustainable society through the next generation of advanced materials over the next year.