Council asked to agree on need for more advanced materials R&I

Draft conclusions also call for EU skills academy, digital infrastructure and intellectual property analysis

EU member state governments have been asked to agree that the bloc should “accelerate” its research and innovation focused on advanced materials, including by increasing public and private investment in this area.

Advanced materials are those that have special properties beneficial to certain uses, such as in medical devices, green technology and semiconductors. Demand for them is expected to grow in the coming years, as pointed out by the European Commission when it presented a strategy for such materials in February.