The Federation of Materials Societies (FEMS) (www.fems.org) draws together 26 National Materials Societies, and enables 25,000 Materials professionals to share experience and knowledge of Materials activity from a Global Network.

Formed 35 years ago, FEMS, and its Member Societies (based in each EU country) are recognised as the pre-eminent source for new knowledge across the Materials Sector. FEMS now seeks to develop improved access to these knowledge streams to enable businesses of all sizes, operating in this exciting field, to connect more effectively.

FEMS wishes to consult with a range of Materials Industries and Businesses to help structure the new links and knowledge transfer products that can directly address industry needs. We believe that new operating practices might be required, and therefore FEMS seeks your help in prioritising those deliverables best suited to help your business. Our aim would then be to work with our National Society Members to develop and deliver the style of industry needs that you believe would be effective. 

The online meeting will focus on two key areas:

1. Understanding your industry needs in order that the FEMS industry services can be best aligned to address those needs, and
2. Identifying specific aspects from previous discussions (see list below) which you and your industry would value being offered by FEMS to your organisation which may differ from those identified under the first question. This will take the form of a poll during the meeting based on the 4 identified areas below.

Developing the FEMS business engagement programme, and from our initial pilot studies, we believe that the following are aspects of knowledge transfer, that FEMS can develop to add value. Please consider these areas ahead of the meeting to be able to indicate which would best suit your industry needs:

1. Information Access

1. A New Virtual Exchange enabling new connections to be made across Europe to solve materials developments, and identify groups working in the same field
2. A searchable Knowledge Portal combining technical papers from across Europe
3. A Virtual Brokerage, customised to make connections easier to find and topics developed for R&D projects.
4. Materials Industry News across a Global Community

2.  Incremental Improvement

1. A new virtual Expo providing access to providers of Materials, their processing, forming or analysis.
2. An alert service generating new links to developers of new processes or analysis techniques.
3. A Brokering Service for links to established Experts in Materials understanding.

3.  Influence in the Market

1. A programme of meetings/workshops with European Government to highlight important developments and new capabilities to meet Government Policy aims and identify funding needs.
2. Visibility and Marketing opportunities arising from these new FEMS initiatives and existing activity.
3. A preferred industry package enabling broad involvement with FEMS events and their delegates, for company recruitment purposes.

4.  Innovation

1. Access to, and awareness of, the growing expertise in Materials topics in work outside Europe through FEMS Global Partner alliances.
2. A platform within FEMS technical event programmes to enable the communication of future Company development needs.
3. Access to a FEMS Foresight Report concerning those future disruptive technologies that could influence the Materials landscape in Europe.

We would very much appreciate your input into this important activity for FEMS which the SAG is spearheading which will help inform the future direction of FEMS activities in this area.  If you are able to attend the round table meeting on the above date please could you email the FEMS Executive Secretary - Efi Fragkou at efi.fragkouiom3.org in order that we can send you a doodle link to find the most convenient time for the meeting with yourself. If you are unable to attend on that date but are interested in further discussion on this topic we can arrange a different date and time to hold a 1:1 meeting with you to discuss your important views.

Thank you for taking the time to read this invitation, and we look forward to interacting with you soon.

On behalf of the SAG team, our Kindest Regards,

Dr. Brett Suddell

SAG Chair