What are ERA industrial technology roadmaps?
The Industrial Technology Roadmaps are a core action in the new European Research Area strategy. They are a tool brought forward by the Commission to accelerate transfer of research and innovation results into the market for the green and digital transformation of industries across the EU.
The roadmaps address the way forward for research and innovation in the industry in key areas at European and national level, with a particular focus on closing the innovation divide between EU countries and better valorising research and innovation results.
The roadmaps are prepared by the Commission together with Member States as well as industry representatives and research and innovation stakeholders across the EU. It is a collective exercise focusing on aligning research and innovation investment agendas at EU and national levels to foster the development and uptake of innovative technologies.
The roadmaps are based upon related Horizon Europe Partnerships, and provide guidance on the development and uptake of industrial technologies from basic research to deployment.
Who can use the roadmaps
Industry representatives or companies
The roadmaps can provide you an overview on the state of play in research and innovation for relevant breakthrough and more mature technologies as well as existing support schemes, building a starting point of information for business decisions.
Research and technology organisations (RTO) or universities
The roadmaps can be relevant for you to facilitate exchange of best practices and better links between researchers and industry in order to speed up technology transfers from research to industries across Europe.
EU Member States
The roadmaps give a comprehensive view on the most relevant technologies, together with an overview of current schemes and financial instruments at EU and at national level to support development and uptake of sustainable industrial innovation.
Together with the analysis of relevant research and innovation outcomes and framework conditions for relevant innovation with a territorial dimension, they help to design coherent and efficient policy action at EU and national level.
Areas the roadmaps will cover
The goal of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and become climate neutral by 2050 calls for further strengthened efforts by industries.
The EU vision for 2050 is for air, water and soil pollution to be reduced to levels no longer considered harmful to health and natural ecosystems that respect the boundaries with which our planet can cope, creating a toxic-free environment.
The first two roadmaps cover low-carbon technologies in energy-intensive industries (published in April 2022) and circular technologies in the textile, construction and energy-intensive industries (published in January 2023).
Low-carbon technologies
The roadmap on low-carbon technologies for energy-intensive industries highlights the most relevant technologies to achieve the decarbonisation of Europe’s most energy-intensive industries, such as steel, cement or chemicals, among others.
The roadmap outlines available support instruments, and points to possible research and innovation action in view of accelerating development and uptake of these technologies.
More information
- Full report: The ERA industrial technology roadmap for low-carbon technologies in energy-intensive industries (April 2022)
- Infosheet: The ERA roadmap for low-carbon technologies in energy-intensive industries
- Factsheet: Low-carbon technologies for industries in Europe
- Pilot, industrial technology prospect report on low-carbon industrial technologies
Circular industrial technologies
The roadmap on circular industrial technologies addresses the circularity of 3 industrial ecosystems: textiles, construction and energy-intensive industries, which stand out for their resource intensity and waste generation, but also their potential for circularity.
The roadmap provides insights on the key technologies that are needed to achieve circularity in the respective industrial ecosystems, and looks into the way forward for enhancing more circular production processes.
More information
- Full report: The ERA industrial technology roadmap for circular technologies in the textile, construction and energy-intensive industries (January 2023)
- Annex to the report
- Infographic: The ERA industrial technology roadmap for circular technologies in the textile, construction and energy-intensive industries
- Factsheet: Circular industrial technologies roadmap (March 2022)
- More about EU’s climate targets: Fit for 55 Package
- More about circularity and zero-pollution: Circular Economy Action Plan, Zero-Pollution Action Plan, Industrial Emissions Directive
Follow-up actions to the roadmaps
In June 2023, the Commission published an overview of EU innovative clean technologies demonstration projects in energy-intensive industries which is a follow-up action to the ERA low-carbon technologies roadmap.
The report is the result of a Commission internal Task Force for Demonstrating Climate Neutral Industries by 2030, led by the Directorate-Generals for Research & Innovation, Climate and Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.
Mapping of EU demonstration projects in energy-intensive industries

Contact
Want to find out more about the Industrial Technology Roadmaps or want to contribute?
Email us at: eu-industrial-technology-roadmapsec [dot] europa [dot] eu (eu-industrial-technology-roadmaps[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
Latest
- News article
New interactive map on demonstrators for clean innovative technologies in energy-intensive industries
Find EU-funded demonstration projects for low-carbon technologies in and around Europe on one searchable map.
- News article
Innovative clean technologies can make energy-intensive industries climate neutral
Research and innovation news alert: Today, the Commission published a report entitled Scaling up innovative technologies for climate neutrality, which analyses 184 demonstrator projects for climate neutrality in energy-intensive industries.
- News article
EU roadmap highlights key industrial technologies for the textile, construction and energy-intensive industries to become more circular
Research and innovation news alert: The report identifies key circular technologies and innovation needs for the textile, construction and energy-intensive industries.
Events

- Training and workshops
Multiplying the Rs in industrial innovation: rethinking, redesigning, reusing, repairing, recycling
- Wednesday 8 March 2023, 10:00 - 14:00 (CET)
Related links
European research area
The European Research Area (ERA), ERAvCorona action plan, recommendations to EU countries in the European Semester, timeline to revitalise ERA, news
Horizon Europe
The EU's research and innovation funding programme 2021-2027