MatVal
Granted Project:
Alliance for materials - a value chain approach to the materials research and innovation - MatVal
Coordinator: Centro Sviluppo Materiali - CSM, Italy
MatVal runs from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2014
Type of funding scheme: Coordination and Support Actions (Coordinating Action)
Work programme topics addressed: NMP.2012.2.3-1 Networking of ETPs and main materials collective stakeholders in materials science and engineering
Technology Platforms were set up to bring a fresh impetus to European research linked to the needs of industry, recognising that the future competitiveness of European industry will rely on the development of innovative products and services. By bringing together all those in a sector around a common vision and research agenda the ETPs help industrial and academic research communities in specific technology fields to coordinate their research and tailor it to a common "Strategic Research Agenda" (SRA), which sets out R&D goals, time frames and action plans for technological advances that are relevant to industry and society.
The strategic research agendas are aimed at overcoming the barriers to the development, deployment and use of new technologies. The nature of the barriers may include how research is organised, outdated regulations, disinclination to accept new technologies, or a shortage of skills and training. Each ETP brings together all those with an interest in that particular sector. This will vary from one sector to another, but will include research institutes, universities, financial institutions, consumer organisations, regulatory authorities and NGOs, as well as large and small companies in that sector. National and regional authorities are also involved through national "mirror groups". However, there is currently a lack of consistent coordination between the activities of the various ETPs, which has led to a diverse range of ideas as to what is important to European materials developments, and consequently a somewhat fragmented support of these developments.
A group of ETPs with a significant material agenda have come together to create an Alliance for Materials (A4M). The driver for this collaboration was to ensure a Value Chain coverage to improve the speed of implementation of innovations in Europe that address the Grand Societal Challenges but with a clear attention to the competitiveness aspects too, in agreement with at least two of the pillars of Horizon 2020.
Alliance for Materials initiatives (A4M) is a new way of thinking, a partnership in Material Research and Innovation.
With the MatVal proposal, A4M intends to enter in its crucial implementation phase creating the condition for a real enlargement of the system to the sector oriented ETPs active along the different value chains and contemporary bringing together in the system other relevant actors of the European Materials community for a real integration of voices and visions.
The key objectives of the proposal are:
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To contribute to the implementation of the A4M view and strategy
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To integrate the diversity of ideas in Materials developments across ETPs to create synergy and an integrated R&D programme for Europe;
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To create the conditions for a genuine collaborative and coordinating environment among different actors for the future Horizon 2020 Materials related initiatives and policies
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To rely on a Value Chain based concept as main driver for a credible integration of resources and actors
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To identify the key research and technology developments in materials required to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond, across all a major sectors;
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To identify the cross-cutting support infrastructure needed to enable European industries to be globally competitive;
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To speed up industrial exploitation of materials research and transformation of European industries. This will include the identification of alternatives to current materials at risk;
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To raise public awareness of the socio-economic benefits of emerging materials technologies, particularly those addressing sustainable technologies and processes, low carbon transportation, sustainable energy generation, medical materials, electronic materials and materials for the modern built environment;
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To pull together all the key materials technologies and supporting infrastructure to advise the Commission about the priorities for Horizon 2020.
Further information under: http://www.matval.eu/
European Project FP7-NMP-2012.2.3-1
Project Nr 319142
MatVal conference: "A value chain approach to materials research & innovation"
7-8 February 2013
Rome, Italy
Innovation policy workshop, 18 June 2013, Brussels
Workshop "Materials by sectors. Diversities and commonalities toward a materials research strategy"
26th March 2014
Brussels, Belgium
Workshop "Developing strategies to boost Materials R&D+I in Europe"
26th May 2014
Lille, France (Hosted by EMRS in the frame of the 2014 Spring Meeting)
Workshop "Materials for Health: a Value Chain in the Frame of H2020"
16th - 17th July 2014
Torino, Italy
Workshop on Innovation in Materials: conclusions from the MatVal project and next steps going forward
30th September 2014
Bologna, Italy (in the frame of the LET's 2014 Conference)
14:00- 18:00