52 high-level representatives participated in the inaugural meeting of the Technology Council for Advanced Materials on 15 November. The mission of the Council is to identify common objectives and priority areas guiding research and innovation investments at European and at national level. Participants from Member States, academia, research and technology organisations, industry, and associations supported the meeting as a significant milestone in the joint efforts of the EU, Member States, industry and academia to have a clear strategic view on the needs for advanced materials in Europe.
The Technology Council has been announced in the Communication on Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership and established by the relevant Commission Decision. Its first meeting was co-chaired by Maria Cristina Russo, Director at DG RTD, Amaryllis Verhoeven, Acting Director at DG GROW and László Lengyel, Vice President for Science and International Affairs at the Hungarian National Research, Development, and Innovation Office, representing the Hungarian Presidency of the Council. Director General Marc Lemaitre gave the welcome speech with the co-chairs.