MATCH Materials Newsletter published

The latest newsletter of the Horizon 2020 MATCH project was published at the end of December.  The MATCH project aims to strengthen and deepen the Alliance4Materials strategy by building a broad stakeholder network.

This third issue of the newsletter has a focus on Europe’s strategy for metallurgy, profiles open R&D materials company FIMECC Ltd, explores Additive Manufacturing for Metallurgy in Austria, and the describes the production of porous copper for use in applications such as water purification amongst much more. You can download and subscribe to the MATCH newsletters here.

Metallurgy is a core activity underpinning primary metal production, processing and reuse and recycling of metallic materials. In total these activities account for 46% of total manufacturing value and some 11% of GDP in the EU. The lead newsletter article features the EU roadmap ‘Metallurgy made in and for Europe’ outlining its objectives and main recommendations.

Material objectives
One of the key objectives of MATCH is to enable improved connectivity between scientific creativity represented by academia and European enterprises focusing on market needs. The European Commission has set an ambitious goal to re-industrialise Europe and to raise industry's share of EU GDP to 20% by 2020. Innovation in cross-cutting applications of advanced materials provides an excellent opportunity for Europe to reindustrialise and secure jobs.

Another important objective of MATCH is to promote the alignment of national and European materials research policies and funding. MATCH has the goal of creating a single interactive and informative platform for the international materials research community.

The project is coordinated by Italian Centro Sviluppo Materiali and the consortium consists of 18 partners from nine countries representing six related European Technology Platforms (including SusChem) and several major European material research organisations.

Material targets
MATCH focuses on four main targets, crucial for the promotion of European sustainable development and innovation actions. These are:

• The enlargement and improvement of the Materials network at EU level
• The multidisciplinary connection of Materials to a large number of fields relevant for European growth and where concerted management actions are needed
• The integration with existing and/or promotion of new Materials networks at National and Regional levels
• The integration of EU and national and regional networks in sustainable and effectively aligned network hubs

Through the MATCH project all organisations interested in materials research in Europe will have a single reference network through which to obtain information, contacts and guidance in an efficient and transparent way. Established and well-connected material research stakeholders will be able to intensify their activities and extend their collaborative activities at European level, realising the A4M concept for the “The Materials Common House”.

The project started in January 2015 and will continue until June 2017. MATCH is funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. It follows on from the previous Alliance for Materials initiative, the MatVal project, in which SusChem was also an active partner.

MATCH for Materials

The latest newsletter of the MATCH Horizon 2020 project has been published.  The MATCH project was initiated to strengthen and deepen the Alliance4Materials strategy by building a broader stakeholder network. The project is coordinated by Italian Centro Sviluppo Materiali and the consortium consists of 18 partners from nine countries representing the six related European Technology Platforms (including SusChem) and several major European material research organisations.

This second issue of the newsletter highlights some recent European materials research and innovation news including features on research group activities, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Raw Materials initiative, and events. You can download and subscribe to the MATCH newsletter here.

Material foundation
The European Commission has set the ambitious goal to re-industrialise Europe and to raise industry's share of the GDP to 20% by 2020. Innovation in cross-cutting applications of advanced materials, including in the transportation, health care, energy and consumer goods sectors, provides an opportunity for Europe to reindustrialise and secure jobs. One of the key objectives of MATCH is to enable the connections between the scientific creativity represented by academia and European enterprises focusing on market needs.

Another important objective of MATCH is to promote the alignment of national and European materials research policies and funding. MATCH has the goal of creating a single interactive and informative platform for the international materials research community.

MATCH is pushing for the creation of a strong, sustainable, inclusive network where any European Materials players, whether from Industry, Research or academia, can feel comfortable and gain real value for their interests and expectations in respect of materials research, development and innovation. The MATCH partnership promotes the integration of concerted and strategic challenges of national, regional and European needs in the field.

Material targets 
MATCH focuses on four main targets, crucial for the promotion of European sustainable development and innovation actions. These are:

• The enlargement and improvement of the Materials network at EU level
• The multidisciplinary connection of Materials to a large number of fields relevant for European growth and where concerted management actions are needed
• The integration with existing and/or promotion of new Materials networks at National and Inter/Regional levels
• The integration of EU and national and regional networks in sustainable and effectively aligned network hubs

Through the MATCH project all organisations interested in materials research in Europe will have a single reference network through which to obtain information, contacts and guidance in an efficient and transparent way. Established and well-connected material research stakeholders will be able to intensify their activities and extend their collaborative activities at European level, realising the A4M concept for the “The Materials Common House”.

The project started in January 2015 and will continue for 30 months until June 2017. MATCH is funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. It follows on from the previous Alliance4Materials initiative, the MatVal project, in which SusChem was also an active partner.

Shaping the Future of Europe’s Materials Research & Innovation through a Value Chain Approach

To celebrate the end of a very successful FP7 project, the MatVal team will present its final findings and recommendations at its closing conference on September 30, 2014 in Bologna, Italy. The event will take place during the LETS (Leading Enabling Technologies for Societal Challenges) 2014 Conference organized by the European Commission and the Italian Presidency of the European Union. 

The LETS 2014 conference addresses how Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) can address the Societal Challenges facing Europe and bring about a new European Renaissance. The conference will focus on the potential use of nanotechnologies, advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, processing and biotechnology.

Closure and continuity
The Bologna MatVal workshop will be the public closure event of the MatVal project and a critical moment to discuss the achievements and the future actions Europe should take to ensure the continuity of the groundwork laid for the construction of a unified policy on Materials R&D. Specifically, Materials R&D as a real enabler of the European industrial renaissance through its promotion of jobs, growth and competitiveness. We believe this message is particularly relevant in the current transition from the old to new European legislature (EP and EU Commission). It is essential to ensure the continuity of dialogue between institutional representatives and the Materials community.

Gathering policymakers, R&D experts, material manufacturers and end users, the Bologna workshop will be an ideal place to hear about the key learnings from the MatVal project and an excellent forum to exchange and discuss ideas on how materials R&D in Europe can:

• shift from a heavy research focus to a more innovation focus, 
• be better clustered along the value chain, and  
• create strong partnerships in the overall European materials community.

There will also be an open floor interactive panel discussion, gathering experts from different industry sectors and leading materials experts, where participants can make suggestions on what needs to be done to shape a more successful path to innovating in the field of materials.

For a complete overview of the workshop, you can download the draft agenda here.

To register for the workshop or to get more information about this event, please email Jacques Komornicki, Cefic Innovation Manager.

What is MatVal?
MatVal (a value chain approach to materials research & innovation) is an EU-funded FP7 project which was started in 2012 by the Alliance for Materials (A4M). A4M connects the main European materials community organizations and is developing a common strategy to speed-up the implementation of innovation in materials. SusChem is a member of A4M.

We look forward to seeing you on 30 September in Bologna!

MatVal Cross Sectorial Workshop to Take Place in Brussels

MatVal, the SusChem-supported FP7 project is organizing a cross-sectorial workshop in Brussels on 26 March. The workshop will bring together a selection of experts to identify how innovation in materials research can help fulfil the converging needs of a wide variety of different industrial sectors.

The workshop will gather both industry actors and European policy-makers specializing in different technical areas that strongly rely on materials technology. These include: energy, construction, transport and the creative industries such as textile manufacturing and design. The experts will work together to explore where new approaches and new materials technologies that are used across different value-chains can benefit more than one sector.

This is an innovative approach to research and innovation in materials: cross-sectorial collaboration is the only way to help identify the key elements where innovation can deliver a holistic breakthrough, and it also creates a space for efficient sharing of resources and knowledge. This space, where the value chain approach is a guiding light, can be a fundamental cornerstone of the Alliance for Materials (A4M) “common house” that aims to bring together all the players of the Material research community in Europe.

The workshop is an invitation-only event.

What is MatVal?
Materials research and development is a technology area that affects almost every industrial sector. The achievement of effective coordination between different sectors, while maintaining their relative autonomy, interests and strategies is an essential condition to achieve the best and most effective use of the resources of the European materials research community.

The FP7 Project “Alliance for Materials – A value chain approach to materials research and innovation” - MatVal for short - was initiated by A4M: the grouping of European Technology Platforms (ETPs), including SusChem, involved in materials research and innovation as well as other key materials organisations representing research societies and networks of excellence. The project is also supported by more than 20 external partners with prominent reputations in materials.

MatVal was launched at a conference in Rome in February 2013. The two-year, €1.3 million project aims to integrate requirements, ideas and solutions in materials across sectors to create synergies and develop a truly coordinated and competitive materials R&D programme for Europe. A series of short video interviews with speakers from the launch conference can be viewed here.

The value chain approach is a key element of the thinking behind MatVal. Working along value chains can drive synergistic benefits through a common path which integrates players, resources and strategies starting from fundamental aspects of materials science up to the industrial systems that turn materials into valuable products

For more information on SusChem and chemical industry involvement in MatVal and A4M, please contact SusChem Innovation Manager Jacques Komornicki at Cefic.

European Materials Community Comes Together

Today (7 February) in Rome will see the launch of the first ever initiative to bring together the whole materials community in Europe. A new partnership and networking initiative for materials research and innovation is taking shape this week, as the MatVal project holds its launch meeting on 7 and 8 February in the Italian capital. The launch event, which gathers high-level policymakers, R&D experts, material developers, suppliers and end users from across Europe, is a fantastic opportunity to address major sectors such as energy, transport, health and construction. European research and innovation in materials is now a united effort!

In 2010, a group of European Technology Platforms (EuMaT, Textiles and Clothing, SusChem, Manufuture, Advanced Engineering Materials and Technologies, Steel Technology and Sustainable Mineral Resources) decided to join forces to link their strong materials research agendas and coordinate their activities in this area. This was an unprecedented move to improve the way materials innovations are being developed in Europe. The Alliance for Materials (A4M) was created.

With MatVal, an EU-funded project, A4M enters its implementation phase by creating the conditions for a significant enlargement of the network to include all sectors active along value chains. The project will bring together the relevant stakeholders from the European materials community for a real integration of voices and visions.

“Europe is now equipped with a multi-stakeholder forum to develop and share a single view on materials needs”, says Dr Marco Falzetti, A4M chairman and MatVal coordinator. "Our objective is to speed up the implementation of material innovations towards end-user market applications.”

Advanced materials will play a significant part in the development of future goods and services, and MatVal will ensure that key materials innovations are identified, supported and delivered to the market in a timely manner. “A4M is a new way of thinking”, Dr Falzetti continues. “This launch event marks major strides towards an integrated materials agenda in Europe”.

About MatVal
The MatVal project is funded via the European Commission’s FP7 research programme. The full project name is ‘Alliance for Materials – A value chain approach to materials research and innovation’. The project is coordinated by Centro Sviluppo Materiali SPA (CSM). A website for the project will be launched in the next few weeks.

The full list of MatVal partners is:

• Centro Sviluppo Materiali SPA (CSM)
• Conseil Européen de l’Industrie Chimique (Cefic)
• The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
• European Apparel and Textile confederation
• ArcelorMittal Maizières Research SA
• TWI limited
• European Virtual Institute on Knowledge-based multifunctional Materials AISBL
• European Materials Research Society
• Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen
• Instytut Metali Niezlanych
• Federation of European Materials societies
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.

MatVal launches in Rome

A new SusChem-supported FP7 project will hold its launch conference in Rome on 7 and 8 February. The MatVal project was initiated by the Alliance for Materials (A4M): the grouping of European Technology Platforms (ETPs), including SusChem, that are working together to collaborate and coordinate their strong materials research and innovation agendas. The Rome launch conference promises to be one of the major events of the European materials community this year!

Through the A4M organization and the MatVal project Europe is now equipped with a multi-stakeholder forum to develop and share a single view on materials needs and accelerate the implementation of material innovations towards the end-user market applications. A4M is a new way of thinking: a partnership and networking initiative for materials research and innovation.

The two-year, €1.3 million MatVal project aims to integrate requirements, ideas and solutions in materials across sectors to create synergies and develop a truly coordinated and competitive materials R&D programme for Europe.

Two days, two venues
The MatVal launch conference event will take place at two venues in Rome over the two days. The conference will open on the afternoon of 7 February at MAXXI – Italy’s new National Museum of 21st Century Arts and continue on 8 February at the National Research Council (CNR). The event will bring together policymakers, R&D experts, material manufacturers and end-users.

Opening speakers will include Maria Da Graça Carvalho, MEP, a member of the European Parliament’s ITRE (Industry Research and Energy) committee and rapporteur for Horizon 2020, and Herbert von Bose, Director of Industrial Technologies at DG Research.

The first day will set the scene for A4M, describe the European materials research, development and innovation (R&D&I) landscape with respect to the forthcoming Horizon 2020 programme and outline the value chain approach to materials R&D&I including a presentation of SusChem activities by Jacques Komornicki, Innovation Manager at Cefic.

The value chain approach is a key element for A4M that can drive synergistic benefits through a common path which integrates players, resources and strategies starting from fundamental aspects of materials science up to the industrial systems that turn materials into valuable products.

The second day will examine issues with materials R&D&I along a number of value chains: energy, transport, construction, health and the creative sector. The conference will conclude by discussing and outlining the next steps for A4M and the MatVal project.

The conference will also offer some great networking opportunities – including a private tour of the MAXXI museum.

What is MatVal?
The MatVal FP7 project aims to develop an integrated and efficient materials R&D programme for Europe by answering questions such as:

• How best to move from research to innovation in materials R&D?
• How can Europe cluster R&D along value chains?
• What are the implications and opportunities of the EU initiative on raw materials?
• How can we create strong and durable partnerships in the European materials community?

Essentially MatVal aims to be the crossroads where materials developers, manufacturers, suppliers and end-users meet to improve efficiency in European materials innovation and boost competitiveness.

MatVal’s key objectives include:

• Contributing to the implementation of the A4M view and strategy
• Integrating the diversity of ideas in Materials across ETPs
• Promoting the Value Chain concept as a main driver for integration.
• Accelerating industrial exploitation of materials
• Supporting the European Commission in establishing R&I priorities.

Get involved
The MatVal project is funded by the European Commission’s FP7 programme. Its full title is ‘Alliance for Materials – A Value Chain Approach to Materials Research and Innovation’. More information on the MatVal project can be found on the Cordis website.

For more information on the MatVal launch event in Rome, please contact the organizing secretariat Giorgia Camilla Gelati.

For more information on SusChem and chemical industry involvement in MatVal and A4M, please contact Jacques Komornicki.