Essay: Topics of particular concern to materials scientists in Europe are briefly outlined by Professor Franz Jeglitsch, the President of the German Materials Society DGM. These include the fact that Europe invests significantly less of its gross national product in research than the USA or Japan, that Europe is less successful in converting scientific competence into new products or market share than its competitors, and recent trends in the number of students reading scientific and engineering disciplines. Ways of tackling these points, e.g., by public relations work, are suggested.