Innovative advanced materials and new production processes – reducing dependencies on Critical and Strategic Raw Materials (IA) (Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU and Processes4Planet partnerships)

What is this call about?

The topic funds innovation actions that develop advanced materials and production processes to replace or reduce the use of critical and strategic raw materials in key industrial sectors.

What does this call fund?

Scope

The topic funds alternatives that substitute critical and strategic raw materials or use them more efficiently. Proposals should develop innovative advanced materials or process technologies for strategic sectors such as energy, mobility, construction, electronics, medical devices or chemicals, covering an innovation cycle from material and process design to integration into products.

Approaches

Proposals should address one or more of:

• design, development and production of advanced materials that substitute critical raw materials or use them more efficiently, with targets on performance, safety and sustainability;
• industrial processes that reduce the use of critical raw materials while improving safety, sustainability, flexibility, scalability and cost-efficiency;
• co-development of materials and processes, shown through specific use cases.

Proposals should show clear use cases and market potential, identify substitution barriers, and include the adaptations needed to integrate solutions into industrial manufacturing.

Expected outcomes

• Lower dependence on critical and strategic raw materials.
• A faster innovation cycle and more competitive, secure supply chains.
• Safer and more sustainable processes, materials and products, and demonstration of how the safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) framework can guide innovation.

Further conditions

Proposals should apply the SSbD framework throughout and ensure data can be shared with the Common Data Platform for Chemicals. A business case and exploitation strategy should be included. The topic implements the co-programmed partnerships Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU and Processes4Planet. Activities are expected to start at TRL 5 and reach TRL 7.

What are proposals expected to do?

• Where relevant, proposals should contribute to and cooperate with the EU Innovation and Substitution Hub(s).

When is the deadline?

2 February 2027 (89 days)

2 February 2027 (single-stage submission).