Beyond the spotlight at IAA: Europe’s material revolution

As the world’s automotive leaders gather this week in Munich for IAA Mobility, the spotlight shines on electrification, connectivity, and new vehicle concepts. But behind the headlines, another transformation is reshaping the industry: the race towards low-carbon, circular materials.

Europe sets the pace

Europe is moving faster than any other region. Ambitious regulations on CO₂ reduction (−55% by 2030[1]), the upcoming End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation[2], and strict circularity targets are forcing OEMs to rethink how cars are designed, produced, and recycled. According to the European Commission and industry studies, materials and supply chains account for more than 80% of the automotive carbon footprint[3], making them as critical as electrification in the sustainability race.

From vision to reality

At MATERI’ACT, we combine two strengths rarely found together:

• Materials expertise, mastering recycled and bio-based feedstocks, ensuring quality, consistency, and scalability.
• Automotive know-how, meeting the stringest industrial standards, integrating compounds seamlessly into OEM processes.

This dual mastery means our solutions are not just concepts. They are on the road today with already more than 10 millions vehicles equipped.

• Cutting up to −88% CO₂ with NAFILean biocomposites, already validated in interior structures across multiple OEM programs.
• Closing the loop with IniCycled, integrating 20% plastics from dismantled vehicles (ELV).
• Replacing virgin materials with recycled polypropylene compounds, achieving up to −85% CO₂ footprint compared to virgin polypropylene, for both structural and visible parts.

Ready for the world

What Europe proves today can be deployed globally tomorrow. From Asia to the Americas, OEMs face the same challenge: reducing Scope 3 emissions while ensuring performance and safety. With validated products already in production, we are ready to help them accelerate.

Because the future of mobility will not be achieved by technology alone. Technology will power the car, materials will define its impact.

[1] European Commission – European Climate Law (Fit for 55 package) : https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/european-green-deal/delivering-european-green-deal/fit-55_en

[2] European Commission – Proposal for End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation, July 2023 : https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/proposal-end-life-vehicles-regulation_en

[3]McKinsey & Co. – Net-zero: The road to decarbonizing the automotive industry (2021) : https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/net-zero-the-road-to-decarbonizing-the-automotive-industry