ERA industrial technology roadmaps

What are ERA industrial technology roadmaps?

The Industrial Technology Roadmaps are a core action in the new European Research Area strategy. They are a tool brought forward by the Commission to accelerate transfer of research and innovation results into the market for the green and digital transformation of industries across the EU.

The roadmaps address the way forward for research and innovation in the industry in key areas at European and national level, with a particular focus on closing the innovation divide between EU countries and better valorising research and innovation results.

The roadmaps are prepared by the Commission together with Member States as well as industry representatives and research and innovation stakeholders across the EU. It is a collective exercise focusing on aligning research and innovation investment agendas at EU and national levels to foster the development and uptake of innovative technologies.

The roadmaps are based upon related Horizon Europe Partnerships, and provide guidance on the development and uptake of industrial technologies from basic research to deployment.

Presentation23 February 2022

ERA common industrial technology roadmaps

Who can use the roadmaps

Industry representatives or companies

The roadmaps can provide you an overview on the state of play in research and innovation for relevant breakthrough and more mature technologies as well as existing support schemes, building a starting point of information for business decisions.

Research and technology organisations (RTO) or universities

The roadmaps can be relevant for you to facilitate exchange of best practices and better links between researchers and industry in order to speed up technology transfers from research to industries across Europe.

EU Member States

The roadmaps give a comprehensive view on the most relevant technologies, together with an overview of current schemes and financial instruments at EU and at national level to support development and uptake of sustainable industrial innovation.

Together with the analysis of relevant research and innovation outcomes and framework conditions for relevant innovation with a territorial dimension, they help to design coherent and efficient policy action at EU and national level.

Areas the roadmaps will cover

The goal of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and become climate neutral by 2050 calls for further strengthened efforts by industries.

The EU vision for 2050 is for air, water and soil pollution to be reduced to levels no longer considered harmful to health and natural ecosystems that respect the boundaries with which our planet can cope, creating a toxic-free environment.

The first two roadmaps cover low-carbon technologies in energy-intensive industries (published in April 2022) and circular technologies in the textile, construction and energy-intensive industries (published in January 2023).

Low-carbon technologies

The roadmap on low-carbon technologies for energy-intensive industries highlights the most relevant technologies to achieve the decarbonisation of Europe’s most energy-intensive industries, such as steel, cement or chemicals, among others.

The roadmap outlines available support instruments, and points to possible research and innovation action in view of accelerating development and uptake of these technologies.

Full report: The ERA industrial technology roadmap for low-carbon technologies in energy-intensive industries (April 2022)
Infosheet: The ERA roadmap for low-carbon technologies in energy-intensive industries
Factsheet: Low-carbon technologies for industries in Europe
Pilot, industrial technology prospect report on low-carbon industrial technologies

Circular industrial technologies

The roadmap on circular industrial technologies addresses the circularity of 3 industrial ecosystems: textiles, construction and energy-intensive industries, which stand out for their resource intensity and waste generation, but also their potential for circularity.

The roadmap provides insights on the key technologies that are needed to achieve circularity in the respective industrial ecosystems, and looks into the way forward for enhancing more circular production processes.

Full report: The ERA industrial technology roadmap for circular technologies in the textile, construction and energy-intensive industries (January 2023)
Annex to the report
Infographic: The ERA industrial technology roadmap for circular technologies in the textile, construction and energy-intensive industries
Factsheet: Circular industrial technologies roadmap (March 2022)
More about EU’s climate targets: Fit for 55 Package
More about circularity and zero-pollution: Circular Economy Action Plan, Zero-Pollution Action Plan, Industrial Emissions Directive

Human-centric research and innovation approaches in industrial technologies

The ERA Industrial Technologies roadmap on Human-Centric Research and Innovation analyses how the manufacturing sector can take a leading role in achieving human-centric outcomes in technology development and adoption, such as improving workers’ safety and wellbeing, upskilling or learning.

There are significant opportunities to capture the transformative potential of ground-breaking technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual worlds through more human-centric and user-driven design approaches in R&D and organisational innovation. Policy actions recommended include adopting human-centricity considerations in education and training, R&I funding and in-company training and innovation strategies.

Full report: The ERA Industrial Technology Roadmap on Human-Centric Research & Innovation (July 2024)

Follow-up actions to the roadmaps

In June 2023, the Commission published an overview of EU innovative clean technologies demonstration projects in energy-intensive industries which is a follow-up action to the ERA low-carbon technologies roadmap.

The report is the result of a Commission internal Task Force for Demonstrating Climate Neutral Industries by 2030, led by the Directorate-Generals for Research & Innovation, Climate and Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.