It is widely recognized that, Materials Science and Technology are advancing fast. Materials create added value in most products as so are of particular relevance for industry and society.
At the same time, costs must be minimised, sustainability improved, and products rendered more attractive, portable, or usable by making them smaller and lighter, improving functionality etc.
Due to their importance the EU Commission’s Directorate-General for Research- G3 for Added- value Materials has published a guide-Research Roadmaps for Materials, in order to focus attention of all interested parties on: the efforts engaged, to encourage further engagement and on the potential rewards for success.
-RRM PURPOSE
-Three Key Overview Themes
-Strategies outline (Open and closed)
-Layered approach (4 layer example)
-WHY INVEST?
-11 Supporting chapters
16 Research Road Maps, each with its specially dedicated web site has been drawn up as follows:
2 DISC-REGENERATION-Novel biofunctional highly porous polymer scaffolds and techniques
controlling angiogenesis for the regeneration and repair of the degenerated intervertebral disc
3 POLYSACCHARIDES -The European polysaccharide network
4 EXCELL-Thin Fims Network of Excellence: to overcome the fragmentation of European
research in multifunctional thin films
5 EXPERTISSUES-Novel therapeutic strategies for tissue engineering of bone
and cartilage using second generation biomimetic scaffolds LINK2 expertissues
and ceramics
7 IDECAT-ERIC ERIC- the European Research Institute of Catalysis
Integrated design of catalytic nanomaterials for a sustainable production ( IDECAT logo has been corrupted!) Use ERIC Link here
8 KMM-NoE_ Knowledge-based multicomponent materials for durable
and safe performance
10 MAGMANet -Molecular approach to nanomagnets and multifunctional materials
11 METAMORPHOSE-Metamaterials organized for radio, millimeter wave, and photonic
superlattice engineering
12 MIND-Multi-functional and integrated piezoelectric devices
13 NANOFUN-POLY _Nanostructured and functional polymer-based materials and
nanocomposites
14 NANOMEMPRO-Expanding membrane macroscale applications by exploring
nanoscale material properties LINK 2
15 ONE-P_Organic nanomaterials for electronics and photonics: design,
synthesis, characterization, processing, fabrication and applications
16 SOFTCOMP-Soft matter composites – an approach to nanoscale functional
material
Key Thematic Programmes (FP7):
• Theme 1 Health
• Theme 2 Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology
• Theme 3 Information and communications technologies (ICT)
• Theme 4 Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies (NMP)
• Theme 5 Energy
• Theme 6 Environment (including climate change)
• Theme 7 Transport (including aeronautics)
• Theme 8 Socio-economic sciences and the humanities
• Theme 9 Space
• Theme 10 Security
NMP underpins progress in virtually all other above mentioned Themes. The materials research
done tries to find answers to questions such as:
• How can products and processes be improved?
• Are there better alternative materials and process?
• How can new materials reduce the number of components and production steps?
• What is the impact of materials on cost, quality, safety, consumer experience and regulatory
compliance?
• How can maximum added value be derived from materials? Can we use fewer or local materials and suppliers?
• Which is the most sustainable material in terms of energy and primary resource consumption?
New materials can make crucial differences in many products. Multi-application materials form
a generic, horizontal, cross-cutting field with actors in many different industrial sectors.
The Nano Materials Production (NMP) theme develops both multi-application materials, and materials for targeted applications in all FP7 Thematic Areas, notably Energy, Environment, Health, ICT and Transport.
RRM PURPOSE
Risking repletion, Research Road Maps (RRM) arise from the dialogue between scientists and industrialists.
Research Road Maps (RRM) have the potential to offer great added value in guiding the activities undertaken by all stakeholders: scientists, industries, venture capitalists, research managers, etc.
In addition, if based on economic and societal needs, they can be of great value in priority-setting interactions with public administrations at national and European level.
Research road mapping involves identifying scientific and technological challenges related to the socio-economic and industrial trends expected for the coming decade(s). An analysis of existing RRMs shows that they are generally organised around three ’parameters’:
Three Key Overview Themes
• Thematic areas/economic and societal challenges, from which common drivers for materials innovation can be derived and which have cross-sector relevance such as the FP7 Themes: Energy, Environment,…
• Horizontal and vertical classes: horizontal classes are cross-cutting technologies e.g. modelling, metrology and standards, process technologies, manufacturing. Examples of vertical classes are structural, functional, multi-functional and bio-materials.
• Market industry sectors e.g. aerospace, transport, healthcare, packaging, textiles, construction.
Strategies outline.
The strategies followed by roadmap producers vary from closed to open.
In closed strategies, the desired end-result is chosen and means are defined to reach this goal.
Such RRMs can easily be up-dated at regular intervals. Closed roadmaps tend to be highly
predictive constructions that are adapted to the needs of markets and activities.
Open Strategies start from a good knowledge of the state-of-the-art in a specific field of activity,
then extrapolate the developments of this activity over time. Open roadmaps may be fragile
constructions, low on prediction and usually involving accompanying blue-sky research.
A RRM could consist of 4 layers and 11 supporting chapters
First layer
FP Theme (Health, Energy, Environment, ICT,…) supported by the NMP Programme
Second layer
Applications/systems supporting the Theme and enabled by new materials
Third layer
Materials and/or processes enabling the applications/systems
Fourth layer
Research necessary to create the materials.
WHY INVEST?
Supporting chapters justify why scientists, industry or funding agencies should invest in these research areas.
11 Supporting chapters are listed as follows:
• Potential application domains/lead market sector for new material scientific and technological results.
• Context, including current bottlenecks.
• Motivation.
• Key performance figures (targets).
• Activity in- and dynamics of- the field, including the patent landscape.
• References.
• Time-line (for Research & Development and applications).
• Dependencies/conditions to be addressed (regulations, standardisation).
• Prioritisation for different (regional, national, European) funding schemes.
• Technology transfer possibilities and necessary education.
• Conclusions and recommendations.
REFERENCES
Directorate-General for Research
Directorate G — Industrial Technologies
Unit G.3 — Value-added Materials
Ed. Anne de Baas
European Commission
EUR 24210 — Research Road Mapping in Materials
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union
2010 — 24 pp. — 17.6 x 25 cm
ISBN 978-92-79-14485-1
doi: 10.2777/87000
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