In April 2025, the first CMC-EU workshop took place in Bergamo, where representatives from industry, science, and politics jointly discussed the political agenda for ceramic matrix composites (CMC). The aim was to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and lay the foundation for technological leadership in strategic high-value sectors.
The event was organized by the Ceramic Composites expert network of Composites United together with French, Italian, and British partners. With this workshop, the organizers invited participants to an open European exchange on opportunities, challenges, and concrete fields of action related to CMC for the first time.
The workshop underscored the need for a coordinated European roadmap and the mobilization of appropriate resources. CMC is considered a key technology for industrial resilience, the energy transition, and Europe’s strategic autonomy.
Thanks to their low weight and heat resistance, they outperform metals in many applications and enable advances in aerospace, defense, energy, automotive engineering, space travel, and modern mobility solutions. They thus contribute directly to reducing emissions, increasing efficiency, and technological sovereignty.
At the same time, it was emphasized that Europe is lagging behind in this area. High production costs, gaps in the supply chain, a lack of certification standards, fragmented research, and a shortage of skilled workers are slowing down development. The workshop therefore called for a pan-European initiative that provides for a uniform roadmap, the promotion of cross-border R&D, investment in fiber production and certification, and the strengthening of supply chains. Only through decisive action at the European level can Europe’s scientific strengths be translated into industrial leadership positions and its strategic capacity for action be secured in the long term.
As a result, the European partners agreed to continue the exchange at the European level in the long term. A follow-up workshop is already being planned. In addition, the partners are working on a European White Paper that will identify existing barriers to the use of CMC and develop practical solutions.
