Europe is sharpening its focus on advanced materials, seeing them as key to future competitiveness. At the first IAM-I General Assembly, which took place 15–16 April in Lund, experts from research, industry, and policy called for stronger European value chains to reduce dependency on external suppliers.
A major highlight was the plan to launch a €2 billion partnership under the next EU research programme, focusing on larger, market-oriented initiatives. Still, a major hurdle is scale-up financing, especially in the €10–100 million range, which limits the path from innovation to market.
Participants also highlighted key ecosystem challenges, such as long innovation cycles, fragmented collaboration between research and industry, and insufficient support for early-stage scale-up. Addressing these barriers requires improved coordination, stronger partnerships, and enhanced access to shared infrastructures, including engineering facilities and data spaces.
From a policy perspective, IAM-I continues to play a pivotal role in aligning stakeholders and contributing to major European initiatives, including the Advanced Materials Act. The organisation is positioning itself as a central reference point for policymakers and industry, while fostering cross-sector collaboration through its Working Groups and Task Forces.
As a member of the IAM-I network, the EURICE group reinforces its commitment to supporting the development of a coherent and industry-driven advanced materials ecosystem in Europe. The insights gained from the meeting will inform the groups’s ongoing activities, particularly in view of upcoming opportunities under FP10 and the next Multiannual Financial Framework, as well as continued engagement within IAM-I Working Groups and Task Forces.
