European Raw Materials Network EIT RawMaterials receives funding for another seven years

Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology played a key role in setting it up

Since 2015, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has established a so-called Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) for the raw materials sector - the EIT RawMaterials. After seven years, the results have now been rotationally assessed and positively evaluated. The EIT RawMaterials has developed into an important player in the raw materials sector in Europe and now networks more than 300 European institutions from the resources sector. In addition to the establishment of six Innovation Hubs, the European Raw Materials Alliance ERMA was founded and six master's degree programs with EIT label degrees were developed. Over the next seven years, the KIC will focus on securing raw material supplies, closing material loops and developing material solutions that enable the transition to a carbon-neutral Europe.

The EIT RawMaterials was established in 2015 to improve the competitiveness of the European raw materials sector. This includes ensuring the accessibility, availability and sustainable use of raw materials needed for the EU economy. At the same time, the EIT's mission is to create a resource-efficient economy that meets the needs of a growing population within the ecological limits of a finite planet. To this end, new processes and products have been developed over the past seven years along the entire value chain of raw materials - from exploration, mining and processing of minerals to substitution, recycling and circular economy.

The founding was coordinated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and its Institute for Resource Technology (HIF), led by Dr. Jens Gutzmer. "It was a rough but very rewarding journey, as we were required to establish the EIT RawMaterials in less than a year. To achieve this, we did need to find agreement with 116 founding partner organizations in 22 countries. Nevertheless, with strong team spirit, we achieved our ambitious goal: to build the leading network for innovation and education in the raw materials sector across Europe. With a volume of two billion euros, the EIT RawMaterials is still the largest third-party funded project that has been applied for and coordinated by actors in the new German states. Furthermore, Dr. Andreas Klossek, one of the co-founders of the HIF, holds a leading position in the management of the EIT Raw Materials. The extension of the EIT Raw Materials for another seven years makes me personally proud," says Dr. Gutzmer.

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Background

The EIT is an institution of the European Union with headquarters in Budapest, which aims to strengthen the innovative power of its member states and to contribute to sustainable economic growth and increased competitiveness in strategically important areas of the economy. There are now 9 KICs. That are highly integrated, creative and excellence-driven networks that brings together partners from education, research and business. Together they inspire ideas, accelerate innovation and bring products as well as services to market.