The European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO) has published a position paper highlighting the importance of advanced biomaterials for competitiveness and performance in the healthcare sector. Led by Dirk Holste from the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and with contributions from Rainer Hainberger, also from the AIT Centre for Health and Bioresources, the working group on Emerging Technologies for Healthcare advocates for a stronger integration of these materials into the EU research agenda.
Challenges in the current research framework
Although the European Commission has repeatedly emphasised the central importance of advanced materials for the competitiveness of European industries, particularly in its recent communication and the launch of the IAM-I initiative, support for biomaterials in the current EU framework programme Horizon Europe still falls short of expectations. The demand for biomaterials is growing continuously, driven by a wide range of potential applications in medical and cross-sector technologies. This particularly affects small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and deep-tech start-ups, which are dependent on key materials in this sector but find it difficult to access them.
"The need to embed the healthcare sector as the next strategic priority in the new European strategy for advanced materials is clear," explains Dirk Holste, Head of the EARTO Working Group on Emerging Technologies for Healthcare. "Our RTO community of interest with a research focus on the healthcare sector is committed to raising awareness among stakeholders and innovation actors and providing convincing arguments for a strategy update to establish advanced materials as a further strategic focus for modern medical technology and other applications in the healthcare sector." These include a variety of innovative approaches and technologies:
Intelligent biomaterials and functional surfaces for controlled drug delivery and medical devices.
Sustainable materials for disposable products.
Environmentally friendly functional materials for biosensors and imaging.
Materials for sustainable energy supply in disposable diagnostic and therapeutic devices.
Flexible and implantable electronics.
Biocompatible and biodegradable materials for advanced therapies and complex cell systems.
EU strengthens focus on advanced materials
The recently published draft EU Council Decision on the Commission's Strategy on Advanced Materials confirms and expands the strategic focus on these critical technologies, taking into account the health sector and the agri-food industry. The European Union emphasises the urgency of accelerating research and development in these areas in order to further strengthen Europe's competitiveness and innovative power. Particular emphasis is placed on the need to create a future-oriented infrastructure and to improve coordination between Member States in order to avoid fragmentation and maximise synergies.
The AIT Center for Health and Bioresources has a central role in shaping the EU's future research and innovation agenda. Through active participation in the EARTO working group, experts such as Dirk Holste and Rainer Hainberger play a key role in laying the foundations for innovative developments in the healthcare sector.
Link to position paper: https://www.earto.eu/wp-content/uploads/EARTO-Paper-on-Advanced-Materials-for-Healthcare.pdf