We are excited to announce the merger of the European Lightweight Cluster Alliance (ELCA) and the European Lightweight Association (ELA), creating a unified network dedicated to advancing innovation, sustainability, and competitiveness in lightweight materials. This strategic alliance will enhance collaboration across industries, including automotive, aerospace, construction, and renewable energy, ensuring a stronger, more coordinated approach to lightweighting in Europe and beyond.
Strengthening Lightweighting in Europe
In 2025, the ELCA network will continue consolidating its position as the leading reference for lightweighting in the EU by strengthening its activities around key trends, including bio-based alternatives, smart materials, and technologies that reduce reliance on critical raw materials.
On a policy level, ELCA will work towards harmonising regulations and policies across the EU, fostering the exchange of best practices and lessons learned between leading and emerging countries. This initiative, incubated within ELCA, will align with the strategy of the European Lightweighting Network (ELN), enabling both networks to collaborate on a joint agenda for developing a European lightweighting innovation strategy. Additionally, ELCA will generate valuable evidence from industry and academia, demonstrating how lightweighting technologies can help address the challenges of the European Green Deal while delivering positive impacts for both industry and society.
The ELCA network continues to grow with this merger, welcoming five new members in 2025. With this expansion, the network now includes 19 organisations from 16 European countries. In the coming months, ELCA will further increase its visibility across Europe through a dedicated dissemination and awareness campaign while strengthening collaborations with related networks and associations to establish synergies and complementarities.
Under the leadership of the newly established Innovative Advanced Materials Initiative (IAM-I), 2025 presents exciting opportunities for advanced materials. The ELCA network is committed to making a significant contribution to these advancements.
