IAM-I is ready to sail

The launch of IAM-I is the product of a year-and-a-half of hard work between the Graphene Flagship and AMI2030. The non-profit association will operate the upcoming European co-programmed partnership: Innovative Advanced Materials for Europe (IAM4EU) which will set the agenda for much of the future EU funding for 2D materials research and innovation in Europe.

2025 will be the year of Innovative Advanced Materials in Brussels and we are excited for the opportunities this will bring to the European ecosystem.

At the close of 2024, several key milestones were achieved, with the active contribution of the Graphene Flagship Partnership Coordination Panel. The scene is set for a very positive outlook for Innovative Advanced Materials thanks to the following initiatives/actions:

• The High-level Technology Council on Advanced Materials met to advance strategic initiatives.
• Progress was made on an IPCEI for Advanced Materials, critical for Europe’s future.
• The Advanced Materials Act was prioritised by President Ursula von der Leyen in her mission letter to EU Commissioner for start-ups, research and innovation.
• Key groundwork was completed for the EU’s IAM4EU co-programmed partnership on Innovative Advanced Materials.

The most important items on the IAM-I's inaugural General Assembly agenda were to vote for the Executive Board (EB) and the Association Delegation (AD). Together, these will form the Partnership Board that will work with EC on all the key topics for Innovative Advanced Materials funding.

The EB and AD vote resulted in the election of many representatives with a history and engagement in 2D-materials - congratulations!

Notably, Gianluca Fiori of University of Pisa, former Division leader in the Graphene Flagship Core 3 project, was elected as the EB Vice-President for Research, and the Graphene Flagship itself will have an observer post in the Executive Board.

These results demonstrate, once again, the importance of 2D materials for the European innovation ecosystem in nearly any sector.

Now the important work of bringing IAM-I's impact to the European citizens starts - please join that journey!