On Tuesday 2 April in Tokyo, Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, and Hiroki Matsuo, Japanese Vice-Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, announced the launch of an enhanced dialogue between the European Union and Japan on advanced materials.
These materials are used in key economic sectors and applications, such as renewable energies, batteries, zero-emission buildings and semiconductors.
This announcement comes against the backdrop of the European Commission’s communication on advanced materials for European industrial leadership, adopted on 27 February (see EUROPE 13359/16), which included a section on research and innovation.
Ms Ivanova emphasised that Japan and the EU shared the same concerns about economic security, as well as aspirations and objectives for green and digital transition. The commissioner emphasised that advanced materials were crucial building blocks for economic security, and that Japan also had a leading role to play in this area.
The European Commission has stated that this dialogue will provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge and information, particularly on policy developments in this area. This dialogue will also provide an opportunity to explore avenues for collaborative research on these subjects. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)