Lightweighting for climate action
29.08.2024
The European Lightweighting Network (ELN) focuses on leveraging lightweight technologies to support the objectives of the European Green Deal. A common lightweighting strategy was proposed at the 2024 ELN conference.
The European Lightweighting Network (ELN) was initiated by public authorities from (as of today) Austria, Belgium, Germany, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden. It aims to establish a platform and an agenda for common goals in order to lower emissions by reducing the weight of products. At the 2024 ELN conference, the main goal was to align the main stakeholders on a common lightweighting strategy for Europe. A whitepaper describing the focus areas was presented.
Common strategy
The proposed European lightweighting strategy aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce dependency on raw materials, and enhance economic resilience and technological sovereignty. It promotes holistic approaches, combining lightweighting with digital solutions, and emphasises secure data accessibility for circular value chains. The ELN network aims to establish a European-level contact point within the European Commission, develop a joint research agenda, and foster R&D cooperation. Events such as the UN GLOBAL summit and Hannover Messe promote lightweighting’s significance.
Outlook
Austria contributed intensively to the agenda of the 2024 ELN conference. Representatives from Austrian industries, research facilities and ministries presented their activities and thoughts on advanced materials, recycling, additive manufacturing and digitalisation in lightweight engineering. The next ELN conference will be held on 2 and 3 June 2025 in Kraków, Poland. Initial results from lightweighting R&D projects of a new, cross-national EUREKA funding program may well be presented there. The funding program was a result of the intensified activities on a policy level.