Metrology: The sixth pillar for the European Advanced Materials Act
Advanced materials are at the heart of Europe’s ambitions for technological sovereignty, industrial resilience and sustainable growth. From semiconductors and batteries to quantum technologies and clean energy solutions, these innovations will underpin the industries that shape Europe’s future competitiveness.
As the European Commission prepares the Advanced Materials Act, reliable measurement infrastructure must become a strategic pillar of Europe's innovation ecosystem.
Many promising materials struggle to make the transition from laboratory discovery to large-scale industrial production. One of the key barriers is the lack of reliable, harmonised and traceable measurement methods that give manufacturers, investors and policymakers confidence in performance, quality and safety at scale.
This position paper explores why metrology, the science of measurement, is a critical enabler of Europe’s advanced materials agenda. It demonstrates how Europe’s metrology ecosystem can support the objectives of the proposed European Advanced Materials Act by providing the measurement infrastructure needed to reduce risk, accelerate innovation and strengthen industrial uptake.
The paper sets out practical recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders, highlighting how integrating measurement science into European policy frameworks can help bridge the gap between research excellence and commercial success. By embedding metrology at the core of advanced materials development, Europe can speed up the journey from lab to fab, reinforce industrial leadership and ensure that products made in Europe continue to be synonymous with quality, reliability and trust.