From the Graphene Flagship to IAM4EU: A Journey of Innovative Advanced Materials

Disruptive technologies are usually characterised by universal, versatile applications, which change many aspects of our life simultaneously, penetrating every corner of our existence. In order to become disruptive, a new technology needs to offer not incremental, but dramatic, orders of magnitude improvements. The more universal the technology, the better chances it has for broad base success. Significant progress has been made in taking graphene and related layered materials from a state of raw potential to a point where they can revolutionize multiple industries. Innovative Advanced Materials (IAM), targeted by the Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe partnership - IAM4EU, comprise enhanced variants of existing materials, with properties tuned for improved performance in specific applications, or to enable new ones, as well as novel materials enabling improved performance or new applications. The term “innovative” emphasizes the commercial potential and/or refers to modifications or functionalization used to generate IAMs, or to innovative ways to use them. By enabling new, competitive and sustainable products and markets, IAMs are pivotal in achieving the twin goals of the twin green and digital transitions and to boost competitiveness and resilience. I will highlight the journey of innovation initiated with the Graphene Flagship and the Advances in Materials Innovation targeted by IAM4EU.