Sean Kelly, NIA's Interim Director General, was in Brussels on 14 April for the third meeting of the European Commission's Technology Council for Advanced Materials — the body steering the EU's long-term strategy on this critical sector.
The session was a busy one. Members heard updates from the Advanced Materials Academy and reviewed outcomes from the FAME (Future of Advanced Materials in Europe) Workshop. The Scientific Advice Mechanism also presented its recommendations to the Commission, making the case that Europe's strategic autonomy could stand or fall on how it handles advanced materials in the years ahead.
Much of the discussion turned to the Advanced Materials Act, due later this year. Three themes dominated: reducing dependence on vulnerable supply chains, cutting through regulatory friction to get innovations to market faster, and building the domestic production capacity Europe needs to compete globally.
There is still an opportunity to send in comments to the Commission to be taken into consideration. The NIA will prepare comments on the main agenda points. As part if its work with the Malta Initiative the issue of the test methods strategy will be raised. The Malta Initiative will coordinate its members including various Member States representatives to ensure that this is raised by several Council participants and delegations.
If any corporate member wishes to suggest any issues that they would like to raise in the NIA’s response, then please let us know by Friday 24 April so we can include them.
