European industry plays a pivotal role in the twin digital and green transition. It acts as a catalyst for these changes while also being directly impacted by them. Simultaneously, the European industry must strive to uphold its technological leadership and competitiveness in a context of increasing global competition. Indeed, recent geopolitical and sanitary crisis highlighted the supply chain vulnerability of several key enabling technologies and critical raw materials.

Europe’s technological capabilities are its best asset to meet the objectives of the Green Deal, reach carbon neutrality in 2050 and ensure the leadership of its industry, notably in the innovative materials sector. But the significance of the challenges matches the ambition. New technologies must be developed to enable the European transition to a carbon neutral economy, but developing low and zero carbon solutions that go beyond the traditional approach will demand close collaboration between the academic and industry worlds.