Industrial leadership and increased autonomy in key strategic value chains with security of supply in raw materials, achieved through breakthrough technologies in areas of industrial alliances, dynamic industrial innovation ecosystems and advanced solutions for substitution, resource and energy efficiency, effective reuse and recycling and clean primary production of raw materials, including critical raw materials, and leadership in the circular economy.
Research and innovation will be fundamental to spur industrial leadership, enhanced sustainability and resilience. It will support the modernisation of traditional industrial models while developing novel technologies, business models and processes. This should enhance the flexibility of the EU’s industrial base, and increase its resilience by reducing EU dependencies on third countries for critical raw materials and technologies.
The topics serving the objectives of this destination are structured as follows:
●Raw Materials for EU open strategic autonomy and successful transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy: Since the Work Programme 2021-22 was drafted, strategic dependencies have increased in importance, given their prominence in accelerating and delivering the green and digital transformation of the EU’s key industrial ecosystems, as well as the objective of supporting a more resilient European industry. The transition of the European industrial ecosystems is dependent on the supply of raw materials (both from primary and secondary sources) as many digital and green technologies rely on this supply. The focus in this Work Programme is on Diversifying the international supply chains of critical raw materials; and on Developing internal capacity for primary and secondary raw materials production.
●Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) chemicals and materials: Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) is an approach to the design, development and use of chemicals and materials that focuses on providing a function (or service), while reducing harmful impacts to human health and the environment. The Commission published a framework and criteria for Safe and Sustainable chemicals and materials in 2022. Projects across Horizon Europe developing new chemicals or materials are expected to adhere to the framework as of this Work Programme.
●Strategic Innovation Markets driven by Advanced Materials: Materials, in particular advanced materials, are not only the backbone and source of prosperity of the European society. They will also play a decisive and enabling role in the twin green and digital transition. The Materials2030 Roadmap highlighted that innovation markets are the industrial perspective presenting the “market pull” to address societal needs and challenges under a long-term perspective. The focus in this Work Programme is on a systemic approach to develop the next generation solution-oriented advanced materials, which will offer faster, scalable and efficient responses to the societal and technological challenges, that are relevant and can be considered as opportunities for Europe’s society, economy and environment today and over the next three decades. The competition for critical raw materials (CRMs) Europe’s open strategic autonomy at risk in key technologies of the twin green and digital transition. Advanced materials may mitigate these risks by replacing or substituting CRMs.
●Improving the resilience of EU businesses, especially SMEs and Startups : EU companies, in particular SMEs, need to have capabilities to respond in an agile and effective way to supply disruption, but also to be better equipped for dealing with such shocks in the future.
The total call budget of Destination 2 for 2024 is 222.20 Million Euros.
For more detailed information about “Destination 2: Increased autonomy in key strategic value chains for resilient industry” please look at the Work Programme 2023-2024 of Cluster 4.
