Shaping Europe’s Advanced Materials Strategy: INAM Contributes to Scientific Advice for the EC
As Europe prepares to strengthen its position in critical technologies and industrial value chains, advanced materials are increasingly recognised as a key enabler across sectors including energy, semiconductors, healthcare, mobility, defence and digital technologies.
INAM was very honour to have been invited to contributed to this important discussion by supporting the SAPEA evidence report on advanced materials, which formed the scientific foundation for the recommendations developed by the Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) to the European Commission.
The recently published recommendations provide a clear message: Europe needs to accelerate the transition from excellent research to industrial impact.
From scientific excellence to industrial deployment
Europe has world-class capabilities in materials research. Universities, research institutes and companies across the continent are developing technologies that could shape the industries of tomorrow. However, the challenge is increasingly not the discovery of new materials. The challenge is bringing these innovations into real-world applications.
Many promising materials technologies face similar barriers on their journey from laboratory to market:
fragmented innovation ecosystems,
limited pathways for scale-up and industrial validation,
insufficient connections between research organisations, startups and established industry,
and challenges in accessing the capital and expertise needed to move beyond early technology stages.
These challenges strongly resonate with what we see every day at INAM through our work with advanced materials startups, researchers, investors and industrial partners.
Advanced materials as a strategic capability
The SAM recommendations highlight that advanced materials should be considered a strategic capability for Europe.
They underpin many of the technologies critical for the future — from clean energy and sustainable manufacturing to next-generation electronics, quantum technologies and advanced healthcare solutions.
Ensuring access to advanced materials innovation is therefore not only an economic question, but also one of resilience and technological autonomy.
For Europe to remain competitive, it will require stronger coordination, better support mechanisms and a more integrated approach to moving innovations from research environments into industrial applications.
The importance of commercialisation ecosystems
At INAM, we strongly believe that successful innovation requires more than scientific excellence alone.
Deep-tech companies need ecosystems that support the full innovation journey:
researchers who are encouraged and supported to commercialise their technologies,
entrepreneurs who understand industrial markets and customer needs,
corporates willing to engage with emerging technologies,
investors who recognise the longer development cycles of deep tech,
and networks that connect these communities.
The future of advanced materials will not be built by individual organisations working in isolation. It will require collaboration across disciplines, sectors and borders.
Building the next generation of European innovation
The contribution to the SAPEA evidence report reflects INAM’s broader mission: strengthening the bridge between science, entrepreneurship and industry. Through programmes such as AdMaLab, AdMaCom and our international innovation network, we work to support founders and researchers in transforming advanced materials breakthroughs into companies and industrial solutions.
The message from the European Commission’s Scientific Advice Mechanism is clear: Europe must move from excellence in research to excellence in commercialisation. INAM. remains committed to being part of this transition — helping build the ecosystems, partnerships and companies that will shape Europe’s materials future.
All reports are available here!
