GENERAL NEWS
Materials and Net-Zero technologies
On 16 March 2023 , the European Commission launched the Critical Raw Materials Act and the Net Zero Industry Act .
The Critical Raw Materials Act will help ensure that Europe has sufficient access to materials , such as rare earths , which are vital for key manufacturing technologies for the green transition . The Net Zero Industry Act is part of the first pillar of the Green Deal Industrial Plan , supporting Europe ’ s green transition and energy security .
EU research and innovation ( R & I ) ensures that net-zero technologies lead to less use of resources , increased circularity in the use of raw materials and a more sustainable lifecycle , including in manufacturing .
Horizon Europe , the EU ’ s R & I Framework Programme , has invested € 470 million on developing solutions to reduce its dependency on critical raw materials . Recent projects include the demonstration of innovative solutions to increase the overall circularity of wind energy technology , developing a recyclability index for photovoltaic products and various projects under the Horizon Europe partnership on batteries , the creation of a digital passport to track battery materials and sustainable processes for recycling battery raw materials .
The Net Zero Industry Act will massively increase the technological development , manufacturing production and installation of net-zero products and energy supply in the EU over the next decade . It includes an objective to annually capture and safely store 50 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions permanently ( CCS ) from 2030 . The Net Zero Industry Act addresses technologies that will make a significant contribution to decarbonisation , such as solar photovoltaic and solar thermal ; onshore wind and offshore renewable energy ; batteries and storage and heat pumps as well as geothermal energy ; electrolysers and fuel cells etc .
Image : Shutterstock . com .
With Horizon Europe , the EU is investing € 40 billion in research and innovation ( R & I ) for the European Green Deal , including partnering with industry and Member States . EU investments in R & I help facilitate the flourishing of net-zero industrial value chains across Europe .
“ EU R & I has played a major role in the past decade to mature these technologies . Horizon Europe , the current EU Framework Programme for R & I , will continue to support further leaps forward to make them more sustainable , efficient , safe and costcompetitive ,” said the EU . n
MTA launches new cluster of trade associations and events
The Manufacturing Technologies Association ( MTA ) in the UK has expanded its support to the engineering-based manufacturing sector with the formation of a new cluster of trade associations and events . The move has seen the Engineering Industries Association ( EIA ) and Additive Manufacturing UK ( AMUK ) join the MTA portfolio to create a alliance dedicated to promoting excellence in engineering-based manufacturing .
“ Combining with MACH , the UK ’ s national event for manufacturing , and the new Engineering Supply Chain Show , the cluster is dedicated to furthering the interests of engineering-based manufacturing in the UK , boosting business opportunities for UK manufacturers ,” said the MTA .
The MTA is the UK ’ s trade association for companies in the engineering-based manufacturing technologies sector . The EIA , which now falls under the MTA umbrella , is focused on helping the UK ’ s engineering supply chain promote their capability , capacity and expertise to manufacturers seeking to
Visitors at the MACH exhibition in the UK .
source high-quality precision subcontracting products and services from UK-based suppliers , in the UK and overseas .
AMUK is the UK ’ s only trade association for additive manufacturing and 3D printing businesses . It now sits within the MTA portfolio with the specific aim of promoting additive manufacturing and 3D printing technology , helping to accelerate the adoption of this technology in the UK .
The MACH exhibition attracts an audience of more than 26,000 people to meet and network with around 500 exhibitors . Business attributed to the event in 2022 amounted to more than £ 180m . The creation of the Engineering Supply Chain Show in 2022 provided a dedicated event for EIA members . This new show will be co-located alongside MACH in 2024 .
MACH 2024 takes place at the NEC in Birmingham ( UK ) from 15-19 April 2024 , with the ESC Show taking place alongside it between 16-18 April 2024 . n
www . mta . org . uk
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