The European Commission has published a comprehensive Evidence Review Report on advanced materials through its Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM). The roughly 200-page report was produced by SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies) and forms the basis for the policy recommendations issued by the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors to the Commission. The message is clear: advanced materials are crucial for Europe’s autonomy, competitiveness, and resilience – but the pathway from materials discovery to their safe, sustainable, and competitive use must be significantly accelerated.
The report was developed by a working group of 22 European experts, including Nicola Marzari, Professor of Theory and Simulation of Materials at EPFL and Director of the National Centre of Competence in Research NCCR MARVEL. Funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation since 2014, this research centre has been instrumental in advancing the computational discovery and design of novel materials in Switzerland and internationally.
For Marzari, the report confirms a trajectory that MARVEL identified early on: “It is gratifying to see that Europe’s leadership in first-principles simulations – physics-based computer simulations grounded in fundamental laws governing materials – is being recognised. Equally important is the acknowledgement that high-quality digital materials data and novel AI models are critical for the future of materials research. What stands out to me is that MARVEL has been helping to shape precisely this forward-looking research agenda since 2012.”
The EU report identifies five key sectors where advanced materials can have a transformative impact: energy, electronics and semiconductors, medicine, aerospace, and the automotive industry. It emphasises that while Europe has a strong scientific base, structural barriers are slowing the transfer from research to industry. The Group of Chief Scientific Advisors recommends that the EU prioritises safety, sustainability, transparency, and high production standards as core values to make these sectors a key driver of European competitiveness.
This direction aligns closely with SATW focus topics. In its Technology Outlook, the academy identifies key technologies under “Manufacturing Processes and Materials” – such as 2D materials, perovskites (a new generation of materials for solar cells), and flexible batteries – that directly benefit from the computational discovery methods described in the EU report. The SATW Advanced Manufacturing Research Alliance also promotes collaboration between Swiss research institutions in developing future manufacturing processes, an area where new materials and their industrial scale-up go hand in hand.
The report highlights the central role of first-principles simulations and machine learning in materials development. In these areas, Switzerland is an international leader thanks to initiatives such as NCCR MARVEL and infrastructures like the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS). Through the Materials Cloud platform, MARVEL has created open, reproducible datasets that match exactly what the EU report considers urgently needed: high-quality data as the foundation for AI-driven materials discovery.
NCCR MARVEL, which will shortly publish its final report, has been doing pioneering work in computational materials research for over twelve years. The fact that the agenda it initiated in 2012 now sits at the heart of a European policy recommendation demonstrates the foresight of the Swiss approach and the relevance of this research for Europe’s industrial future.
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| Text by | Manuel Kugler |
