In response to urgent global challenges of climate change and materials criticality, a consortium of research institutes is pioneering Materials Acceleration Platforms (MAPs) as a transformative approach to accelerating sustainable technological solutions [1, 2]. The collaborative ecosystem driving MAP development is exemplified by partnerships between institutions like the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research (ISC), the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen–Nuremberg (HI-ERN), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) supported by international initiatives like the German-Canadian Material Acceleration Centre (GC-MAC) [3]. These collaborations have yielded platforms that enable remote experimentation, global knowledge access, and unprecedented research acceleration. For instance, the AMANDA platform, developed through inter-institutional cooperation, demonstrates remarkable experimental acceleration capabilities, achieving up to 100-fold improvements in research processes [4] while projects like BIG-MAP [5] and DECODE [6] demonstrate the decentralized scaleability on a European Level.

Strategic focus areas of MAPs span critical domains including renewable energy, sustainable construction, and innovative advanced materials (IAMs). By integrating modular hardware and software concepts, these collaborative platforms create flexible research environments that can rapidly adapt to emerging scientific challenges. The emphasis on FAIR data principles and standardized workflows ensures that the knowledge generated is not siloed but contributes to a broader, more accessible scientific ecosystem. This holistic strategy ensures that MAPs not only accelerate research but also democratize scientific exploration by providing "experiments as a service", particularly benefiting industrial stakeholders and SME sector. The needs in the twin green-digital transition and request in digital passport establishment bring the clear connection between MAP initiatives and DigiPass CSA project [7], supporting European strategy to a circular, sustainable, and net-zero-emission economy that works for people. DigiPass EU project provides harmonization of advanced materials ecosystems to pave the way to a Digital Materials & Product Passport.

As climate change and materials criticality become increasingly pressing, MAPs represent a pivotal scientific response. They embody a commitment to combining technological innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and sustainable solutions, underpinned by FAIR data practices and efficient workflows. However, the MAP approach is still clearly underrepresented in Europe and Germany, especially in comparison to North America. To reach a critical mass and accelerate progress across the materials research landscape, establishing novel funding frameworks and agile, distributed governance structures is imperative. The presentation will showcase the growing MAP network and ongoing projects.

References

[1] S.P. Stier, et al., Adv. Mater., 2024, 36, e2407791.

[2] CA22123 EU-MACE - European Materials Acceleration Center for Energy, https://eu-mace.eu/about-eu-mace.html.

[3] GC-MAC, Knowledge & Infrastructure to Accelerate Energy Materials Pipeline, https://gcmac.ca/.

[4] J. Zhang, et al., Advanced Energy Materials, 2023, 13, 2302594.

[5] BIG-MAP Project. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3030/957189. Homepage: https://www.big-map.eu/

[6] DECODE Project. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3030/101135537. Homepage: https://decode-energy.eu/

[7] DigiPass, HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01-39, Grant Agreement No. 101138510, https://ms.hereon.de/digipass/index.php.en