Amid growing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes threatening global supply chains, securing access to essential raw materials has become an urgent priority for Europe. A groundbreaking study led by Dr. Adam Kelly and Dr. Ana Cristina Teixeira, researchers from CENIMAT|i3N, published in Nature Communications, charts a path toward supply chain resilience and European technological sovereignty.
To address these vulnerabilities, the CENIMAT|i3N team developed an innovative decision-making tool: the “Self-Reliance Index.” This metric quantifies Europe’s degree of independence not just for individual chemical elements, but for complex material formulations and fully integrated devices.
By cross-referencing this index with performance data across key functional components - such as conductors, semiconductors, dielectrics, battery electrodes, and photovoltaic layers—the researchers revealed a pivotal finding: high-performance materials reliant on imported elements almost always have European-sourced alternatives with comparable technological performance.
Based on these results, the authors propose establishing a new conceptual category: “Strategic Advanced Materials” - defined as materials that combine top-tier technological performance with locally available European raw materials.
The full open-access article is available to read in Nature Communications.
This study and its contributions to European technological sovereignty have been featured across several national news outlets:
- Ambiente Magazine: Estudo da NOVA FCT identifica alternativas europeias para reduzir dependência de matérias-primas críticas
- Jornal PT Green: Investigadores propõem soluções para reduzir dependência europeia de matérias-primas críticas
- SAPO: Investigadores propõem soluções para reduzir dependência europeia de matérias-primas críticas
- HealthNews: Estudo da NOVA FCT propõe índice de autossuficiência para materiais estratégicos na Europa