Lightweight Materials Complement EU's Investment in SAF/SMF

The decarbonisation of the aviation and maritime sectors relies heavily on the scalable adoption of Sustainable Alternative Fuels (SAF) and Sustainable Maritime Fuels (SMF). To accelerate this transition, the EU has committed to mobilising significant financial resources, including at least €2.9 billion by 2027 for sustainable alternative fuels under the InvestEU and Horizon Europe programs (Source: Hydrogen Europe).

All this is part of the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) setting out a pivotal roadmap to rapidly accelerate the energy transition of aviation and waterborne transport sectors. Given the current high cost and limited supply of these new, sustainable fuels, achieving maximum operational efficiency in transport vehicles is not just an environmental imperative, but an economic necessity.

The FOREST project directly supports this massive investment by focusing on the "Reduce" component of transport mass. Our research into ultra-lightweight structures using bio-based polymers and recycled carbon fibres results in a lower overall vehicle mass. In both aviation and shipping, a lighter structure requires less energy, meaning every litre of precious SAF or SMF translates into greater range and lower per-journey emissions. FOREST's materials thus act as a critical efficiency multiplier, ensuring that the EU’s substantial financial commitment to sustainable fuels delivers maximum climate impact.