Partnership website: https://eitrawmaterials.eu/
Developing raw materials into a major strength for Europe
Minerals, metals and advanced materials are key enablers of the green and digital transition. Raw materials are critical to preserving the global competitiveness of the EU’s most strategic economic sectors. They are fundamental for the EU to develop its strategic autonomy and to re-industrialise key European ecosystems.
Today, only a fraction of the most relevant raw materials is produced in Europe. This can be changed through a circular economy approach, through innovation in recycling, substitution, processing, mining, and exploration. It is the objective of EIT RawMaterials to secure a sustainable raw materials supply by driving innovation, education, and entrepreneurship across European industrial ecosystems.
The general objective of this innovation community is to enable sustainable competitiveness of the European minerals, metals and materials sector along the entire value chain by driving innovation, education and entrepreneurship. This is mirrored in the fact that the members and partners involved are active along the entire value chain so from exploration, mining and mineral processing to substitution, recycling and circular economy.
The approach of this innovation community is to integrate knowledge from industry, higher education and research (knowledge triangle) by engaging stakeholders from the entire raw materials value chain. Similar to other innovation communities there are 5 main programmes: innovation, education, business creation, regional innovation schemes and cross sectoral innovation.
In terms of innovation, the focus is on increased resource efficiency and the improvement of processes and products, support the introduction of new technologies and rethink the current linear economic model to move towards a circular approach.
There are several types of innovation projects.
Find out about the latest opportunities offered by EIT RawMaterials, from funding for start-ups and projects, to exciting education programmes, that will all contribute to Europe reaching climate neutrality by 2050.
The EIT publishes regularly calls for proposals for the different programmes. You can find out the opportunities and latest news at the webpage of the innovation community https://eitrawmaterials.eu/ or https://eit.europa.eu/our-communities/eit-rawmaterials
The HQ is based in Berlin but there are many regional hubs spread over Europe. One of them is located in Leuven: tel. +32468306082 or mail info@eitrawmaterials.eu
You can also attend or watch InnoveEIT, the annual conference of the EIT where you can meet other members of the communities and experts of the EIT itself.
Finally you can contact the NCP for materials, mark.antonissen@vlaio.be
Partnerships group the EC and private and/or public partners, to coordinate and streamline the research & innovation initiatives and funding in some selected key domains.
Funded by Horizon Europe, under call topic HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ERA-01-80, INSPIRE is Europe's Centre of Excellence on inclusive gender equality in research and innovation. It relies on four Knowledge and Support Hubs to create knowledge in the areas of sustaining change, widening participation, intersectionality and innovation. Moreover, it supports stakeholders in their journey to become more inclusive through 12 Communities of Practice. In this way, INSPIRE aims to develop both cutting-edge knowledge and innovative strategies for gender equality in the European Research Area. INSPIRE brings together 14 partners. The Belgian partner in this project is UHasselt.