Strategy and policy

Research and innovation in industrial key enabling technologies is essential to create wellbeing, prosperity and jobs across Europe within the means of our planet. That requires new policy action to create value from research and innovation and accelerate the green and digital transformation of industry, strengthening its resilience and its base in Europe.

Industry 5.0 recognises the power of industry to achieve societal goals by making production respect the boundaries of our planet and placing the wellbeing of the industry worker at the centre of the production process.

Research and innovation is at the heart of the renewed European Industrial Strategy, which paves the way to the twin green and digital transitions of EU industry. To accelerate theses transitions, the Commission proposes co-created transition pathways, including developing ERA Industrial Technology Roadmaps and investing in research and innovation through Horizon Europe Partnerships.

Public research and innovation investments will trigger private investments, which are monitored through the yearly Industrial Research and Development Scoreboard.

The European Commission and EU countries are jointly developing the EU valorisation policy through the ERA Forum for transition and engaging all stakeholders through the EU Knowledge Valorisation Platform. This will strengthen innovation ecosystems for knowledge circulation ensuring that research and innovation results have a positive impact on society.

Advanced materials manifesto and Chips Act

The Manifesto on Advanced Materials is an initiative taken by a group of high level representatives from industries, research organisations, universities and designers presented to Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth on 7 February 2022. The views expressed in the publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission

The Manifesto invites the Commission and other stakeholders to establish a strategic roadmap, to launch an agile and inclusive governance for research and innovation on advanced materials and to translate it into a novel European strategic research and innovation agenda for the next generation of advanced materials.

The European Chips Act will allow the EU to invest in the development and production of next generation semiconductors and strengthen European strategic autonomy as currently the European market for semiconductors is heavily dependent on third-country suppliers

Commission priorities 

Industrial research and innovation has a direct impact on 3 of the 6 European Commission priorities: A European Green Deal, An Economy that works for People, A Europe fit for the digital age.

Read more about what we do for the European Commission's priorities.