Abstract
Global supply chain disruptions make securing raw materials for next-generation technologies an urgent priority. Raw materials are currently deemed ‘critical’ based on their supply risk and ‘strategic’ if vital for green or digital transitions. However, these frameworks do not yet cover advanced materials, the complex, engineered substances like nanomaterials that are the drivers of modern innovation. Here we introduce a self-reliance index that quantifies European autonomy for elements, compounds and devices, using import dependence, recycling rates and supplier concentration. Linking this index to the state-of-the-art performance of a broad range of advanced materials, across conductors, semiconductors, dielectrics, battery electrodes and photovoltaic layers, we find that high-performance materials based on heavily imported elements almost always have European-sourced substitutes with comparable performance. We propose defining ‘strategic advanced materials’ as those offering high performance through locally available inputs. This framework provides a selection tool for researchers and policymakers to strengthen supply chain resilience and drive European technological sovereignty.
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Funding
C.T. and M.J.M. acknowledge funding from the European Union via the projects SolarWay (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, Grant No. 101148726) and X-STREAM (Horizon EU, ERC CoG, Grant No. 101124803). C.G. and J.N.C. acknowledge funding from the European Union through the Horizon Europe project 2D-PRINTABLE (GA-101135196) and the Research Ireland funded Frontiers for the Future (Award) Project Number 215815. K.S. acknowledges financial support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through CRC-1415 – 417590517. Z.S. was supported by project LUAUS25268 from Ministry of Education Youth and Sports (MEYS) and by the project Advanced Functional Nanorobots (reg. No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000444 financed by the EFRR). E.F., R.M., and L.P. acknowledge support from FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P.) through the following projects: UIDB/50025/2020-2023, UIDP/50025/2020-2023 and LA/0037/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling, and Nanofabrication-i3N. A.G.K. acknowledges funding from the European Commission through a Marie Skłodowska–Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship “NanoHarvest” (proposal number: 101107032).
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Teixeira, C., Gabbett, C., Synnatschke, K. et al. A self-reliance framework for identifying strategic advanced materials. Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73294-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73294-8
