EU-funded projects supporting the development, scale-up and uptake of advanced materials across Europe

As the European Commission prepares for the adoption of the Advanced Materials Act later this year, the Scientific Advice Mechanism has delivered its advice to the Commission. The overarching recommendation was to “ensure that policies for advanced materials prioritise EU values related to autonomy, safety and sustainability, and prosperity.” 

Advanced materials are designed to deliver enhanced or new functionalities and are central to Europe’s technological leadership and economic resilience. They play a key role across sectors such as clean energy, digital technologies and healthcare. However, despite a strong scientific base, Europe faces persistent challenges, including fragmented research and innovation ecosystems, lower levels of private investment compared to global competitors, and barriers in bringing innovations to market. 

Against this backdrop, the Scientific Advice Mechanism calls for a more coordinated and investment-driven approach to advanced materials that supports safe and sustainable innovation while strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy. The following projects illustrate how HaDEA is supporting the development, scale-up and uptake of advanced materials across Europe: 

• DiMAT focuses on accelerating the digitalisation of Europe’s materials sector by making advanced modelling and simulation tools accessible beyond large industrial players. By developing open digital tool suites, the project enables SMEs and mid-cap companies to design, test and optimise materials across the entire value chain, from initial concept to manufacturing. This helps reduce costs, improve performance and support more sustainable production processes. Demonstrated across sectors such as textiles, composites, glass and graphite, DiMAT contributes to closing the gap between research and industrial uptake while strengthening the competitiveness of European industry.
• DigiPass supports the transition towards circular and digitally enabled business models in the advanced materials sector. The project is developing a platform that helps materials and intermediate product communities improve their digital maturity while enabling more sustainable practices across the value chain. By promoting Digital Materials and Product Passports, as well as interoperable data sharing and standardisation, DigiPass facilitates collaboration between stakeholders and accelerates innovation. Its approach supports the design of materials and products that are more durable, repairable and recyclable, contributing to a more resource-efficient and competitive European industry.
• BEETHOVEN addresses Europe’s dependence on rare-earth elements, which are critical for technologies such as wind turbines and electric vehicles but largely sourced from outside the EU. The project is developing advanced magnetic materials that can replace or significantly reduce the need for these elements in key applications. By working on innovative solutions such as high-entropy alloys and ferrite-based materials, and demonstrating their use in real-world prototypes, BEETHOVEN contributes to strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy. At the same time, it supports the transition to a more sustainable and resilient energy and transport system.