Polymeris Unveils Its 2027–2030 Strategic Roadmap

Polymeris Unveils Its 2027–2030 Strategic Roadmap
Toward Advanced, Sustainable, and Self-Sufficient Materials

At their General Assembly on June 2, 2026, Polymeris members approved the key priorities of the strategic roadmap for the 2027–2030 period. Centered on three key pillars—competitiveness and innovation, leadership in advanced materials, and European and international momentum—this roadmap outlines the ambition of a cluster that aims to become the French leader in multi-material ecosystems and a key player on the European stage.

A division facing a rapidly changing environment

The polymer industry is operating in a rapidly evolving regulatory, technological, and economic environment. The emergence of the European Advanced Materials Act, growing demands for decarbonization and industrial sovereignty, and changes in public funding mechanisms all present structural challenges that Polymeris must address with agility.

Added to this is a transformation of the cluster’s funding model: the share of public grants has fallen from 53% of revenue in 2019 to 34% in 2025, while European contracts have increased by 335% over the same period. This trend confirms the validity of the course we have set and the need to continue diversifying our resources.

“Polymeris has demonstrated its ability to transform itself. This roadmap sets out a clear ambition: to make our cluster the indispensable strategic partner for industry players in the sector, both in France and internationally, with a particular focus on Europe.” Joël VIRY, President of Polymeris, WiPack

Polymeris’ new strategy is based on a central ambition: to foster and accelerate collaborative innovation projects within the polymer industry, in order to strengthen the competitiveness of its players in future markets. It is structured around three complementary strategic pillars.

Priority 1 - Supporting business innovation and competitiveness

As the first pillar of the roadmap, this initiative positions Polymeris as the leading innovation hub for the polymer industry. The goal is to support the entire innovation cycle: idea generation, setting up collaborative projects, access to funding, and industrialization.

Specifically, Polymeris is committed to:

• Accelerating the creation and financing of innovation projects addressing the challenges of ecological transition, the factory of the future, advanced materials, and sovereignty.
• Developing a comprehensive service offering for SMEs and mid-sized companies: access to academic expertise, technologies, national and European funding, forward-looking workshops, and enhanced market intelligence.
• Develop a national, multi-regional network by strengthening Polymeris’ presence in new regions (Hauts-de-France, Occitanie, Île-de-France through a strengthened partnership with ASTech Paris Région) and by coordinating a local territorial network.
• Strengthen strategic alliances with complementary clusters and ecosystem stakeholders to foster synergy and collective efficiency.

“Polymeris must serve as a technical reference point that directs companies to the right experts and funding sources.” Simon GOURGAUD, Vice President of Plastics Processing, POLYVIA

Priority 2 - Becoming the French leader in advanced materials

As a second key strategic focus, this positioning reflects a strong ambition: to make Polymeris the national leader in research and action on advanced materials and the multi-material approach. This positioning is consistent with European priorities and the needs expressed by industry players in the sector.

The 2027–2030 technology roadmap, developed based on internal monitoring of 12 priority themes, regional dynamics, European projects (AMULET, MAT4EU, ESM Vanguard), and market studies (Frost & Sullivan), identifies five major areas of innovation:

• High-Performance Materials: Optimization of matrices, fillers, and reinforcements for cutting-edge properties; disruptive innovation.
• Sustainable Materials: Bio-based, recycled, and upcycled materials; integration of the 9R approach (rethink, reuse, recycle, etc.).
• Smart products: Integration of structural electronics, shape memory, stimulable materials, 4D printing.
• Efficient and sustainable manufacturing: Process digitalization, robotics, monitoring, decarbonization of production.
• Data-driven materials: Multiphysics modeling, digital twins, AI for predicting the behavior of materials and processes.

These areas of innovation cover seven priority markets: mobility, medical/healthcare, aerospace and defense, energy, construction and infrastructure, packaging, and agriculture.

“Advanced materials will be a key focus of the roadmap: this is consistent with Europe’s goals and ambitious. Manufacturers are asking questions about material selection, substitution, and performance - there is a real need for analysis and expertise.” Didier MULLER, Chair of the Polymeris Scientific Committee, CLAYENS

Priority 3 - Accelerating European and international momentum

Building on the success of its European initiatives (European contracts now account for 30% of the cluster’s budget, having more than tripled since 2019), Polymeris now intends to accelerate its international reach.

Three objectives underpin this strategy:

• Strengthen Polymeris’ position within the European innovation network: participation in consortia, coordination of clusters at the European level, and increasing the success rate in European calls for proposals.
• Developing a structured international presence with a roadmap focused on Japan, the Middle East, and North America, leveraging local partnerships and dedicated resources.
• Supporting French SMEs and startups in pursuing international opportunities, a need clearly expressed by industry players in the sector.

A strengthened and diversified business model

To support these ambitions, Polymeris is also undertaking a transformation of its funding model. The cluster’s current budget stands at approximately 3.4 million euros, divided between public funding (the State, local and regional authorities) and private funding (membership fees, services, and European contracts). The roadmap calls for:

• Full integration into Phase VI of the competitiveness clusters, currently under discussion between the State and the Regions.
• An accelerated shift to a project-based model with local authorities, replacing structural funding.
• The development of services for members and non-members as a source of additional revenue.
• The exploration of a subsidiary structure for international activities, in order to better manage their development.

This initiative is fully in line with the recently published Manifesto for Phase 6 of the competitiveness clusters, which sets forth a strong collective ambition: to mobilize 20,000 companies, capitalize on more than 55 billion euros in investments, and accelerate the reindustrialization of France.