Key Enabler for a Sustainable Circular Economy of Minerals and Metals

The Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) pursues the objective of developing innovative technologies for the economy so that mineral and metalliferous raw materials can be made available and used more efficiently and recycled in an environmentally friendly manner. The institute is a constituent part of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf. It researches within the Materials and Technologies for the Energy Transition Program of the Helmholtz Association. HIF works in close collaboration with TU Bergakademie Freiberg and is a core member of the European EIT RawMaterials network.

Research

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Career

News 

HZDR scientist appointed to BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg

Since April, Franziska Lederer has been a professor at the Brandenburg Uni­versity of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU), where she is strengthening a forward-looking field of research with her newly established professorship in “Biomolecular Resource Security.” The biologist, who holds a Ph.D., has been conducting research for more than 15 years at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) on innovative processes for the circular economy aimed at reco­vering critical raw materials with the help of biomolecules. She now not only passes on her knowledge to students but also aims to expand it together with them.

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New EU Policy Brief Highlights Role of Earth Observation and Machine Learning in Addressing Critical Raw Material Challenges

The policy brief outlines how Earth Observation enables large-scale and continuous monitoring of mining sites, supporting the early detection of environmental risks, while AI-driven analytics unlock valuable insights from complex geospatial datasets, improving decision-making across the mining lifecycle. It also highlights the role of integrated data platforms in enhancing collaboration between industry, regulators and researchers.

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Spectroscopy for Sustainable Raw Material Use: HIF Scientist Dr. Richard Gloaguen appointed Honorary Professor at TU Bergakademie Freiberg

Starting in March 2026, the curriculum of the Faculty of Chemistry, Physics, and Life Sciences at TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF) will be expanded to include the subject area “Applied Spectroscopy and Data Analysis.” This new honorary professorship will be led by Dr. Richard Gloaguen. He has been at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf since 2013, where he heads the Exploration Department at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resourcen technology (HIF).

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Events

Metal-Binding Peptides Conference from 1. - 4. September 2026 in Dresden

The 3rd International Conference on Metal-Binding Peptides is an interdisciplinary congress related to metal-binding peptides, the methodo­logies used and applications specific to these kinds of peptides.

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