The EU sharpens its vision for its industrial future, identifying six strategic value chains on which to focus R&I investments.
As the new European Commission takes office, an expert group has published recommendations to boost Europe’s competitiveness in strategic industries, as part of a report that will contribute to the new Commission’s work on a long-term industrial strategy. The study, produced by the Strategic Forum on Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) focuses on six future-oriented value-chains: Connected, clean and autonomous vehicles; Hydrogen technologies and systems; Smart health; Industrial Internet of Things; Low-carbon industry; and Cybersecurity. It lays out recommendations specific to each of the value chains and identifies horizontal enabling actions.
The IPCEI are specific projects co-funding cross-border collaboration in disruptive and ambitious research and innovation followed by a first industrial deployment. The Strategic Forum on IPCEI was set up early in 2018 with the objectives of identifying key value chains as well as modes of joint investment by public authorities and private industry from several EU countries to reinforce those value chains. Composed of 50 members, the group includes public authorities, academia, finance, industry, SMEs and employees as well as individuals appointed in a personal capacity. It serves to advise the Commission and help build a common European vision for these value chains. In particular, the Forum proposes projects within the IPCEI framework, accompanying measures for their implementation, and alternative solutions for joint action in these sectors.
The Forum’s latest recommendations serve to identify and strengthen competitiveness in the above-mentioned emerging fields, complementing the good start already made in areas such as batteries, plastic recycling and high-performance computing. The recommendations on these six fields include: (i) investing in key technologies to reduce CO2 in core industries by 95%, (ii) developing a road-map for a future European Hydrogen Economy, (iii) building a common, secure and trusted EU industrial IoT and data ecosystem, (iv) establishing a European data space with secure end-to-end communications and data protection solutions, (v) investing in new generation high-efficiency electric motors, hydrogen storage and fuel cells, as well as (vi) creating a European Health Data Space based on a network of federated GDPR-compliant health databases with a public private data governance model.
These sector-specific recommendations are complemented by cross-cutting policy guidance such as deepening the integration of the Single Market, ensuring the promotion of the right skills, building a coherent regulatory framework and improving use of public procurement.
The identified areas are prioritised based on their potential to drive Europe’s industrial competitiveness while helping to reach the EU’s climate ambitions. The report builds on and complements the new vision for a more sustainable, inclusive and competitive transformation of the European industry by 2030, as presented in June 2019.