EIT RawMaterials

Developing raw materials into a major strength for Europe

EIT RawMaterials, initiated and funded by the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology), a body of the European Union, is the largest consortium in the raw materials sector worldwide. Its vision is to develop raw materials into a major strength for Europe. Its mission is to enable sustainable competitiveness of the European minerals, metals and materials sector along the value chain by driving innovation, education and entrepreneurship.

EIT RawMaterials unites more than 120 core and associate partners and 180+ project partners from leading industry, universities and research institutions from more than 20 EU countries. Partners of EIT RawMaterials are active across the entire raw materials value chain; from exploration, mining and mineral processing to substitution, recycling and circular economy. They collaborate on finding new, innovative solutions to secure the supplies and improve the raw materials sector in Europe.

There are six regional Innovation Hubs in Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Poland and Sweden, called Co-Location Centres (CLCs) that represent different regional ecosystems connecting industry, research and education.

EIT RawMaterials aims to significantly enhance innovation in the raw materials sector by sharing knowledge, facilitating matchmaking activities, developing innovative technologies and supporting business creation.

EIT RawMaterials will generate a significant impact on European competitiveness and employment by driving and fostering innovation and empowering students, entrepreneurs and education partners driving towards the circular economy. This will result in the introduction of innovative and sustainable products, processes and services, as well as talented people that will deliver increased economic, environmental and social sustainability to the European society.

Vision and Mission

Raw materials are essential to securing a transition to green energy technologies, to securing growth and sustainable consumption and to securing access to clean and efficient consumer technologies. Europe is highly dependent on importing raw materials to secure the global competitiveness of its manufacturing industries and to accelerate the transition to a resource efficient, sustainable society.

EIT RawMaterials vision is to develop raw materials into a major strength for Europe.

The mission of EIT RawMaterials is to enable sustainable competitiveness of the European minerals, metals and materials sector along the value chain by driving innovation, education and entrepreneurship.

This will be realised by integrating knowledge from industry, higher education and research by engaging stakeholders from the entire raw materials value chain. EIT RawMaterials will promote increased resource efficiency and the improvement of processes and products, support the introduction of new, innovative technologies and rethink our current linear economic model to move towards a circular approach. Further focus areas are to increase human capital in the raw materials sector and promote entrepreneurial education at all levels.

We see a Europe with industrial strength built on a foundation of efficient, secure and sustainable supply and use of raw materials. In this vision, products, processes and solutions are geared towards the closure of closely interconnected material cycles. These dynamic and rapidly changing material cycles will attract new investments, enhance the innovation capacity for competitiveness and incite the interest of talented, skilled, entrepreneurial employees. The aim is for society as a whole to appreciate the value of raw materials and perceive the sector as innovative and attractive.

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Innovation Themes

  • Exploration and raw materials resource assessment: innovative and efficient technologies, securing raw materials supply in Europe
  • Mining in challenging environments: Innovative technologies for intelligent and sustainable mining
  • Processing increased resource efficiency in mineral and metallurgical processes: improved resource efficiency and safety
  • Substitution of critical and toxic materials in products and substitutions for optimised performance: sustainable materials for key technologies
  • Recycling and materials chain optimisation of end-of-life products: turning waste in valuable resources
  • Design of products and services for the circular economy: designing smarter solutions, closing material loops

Education – RawMaterials Academy

The RawMaterials Academy is the overarching brand of all the education activities of the EIT RawMaterials. Activities across the entire ecosystem of learners – PhD students, Masters’ students, industrial partners, professionals within the raw materials sector, and wider society – foster new ways of learning and teaching by connecting academia, industry and research organisations.

The aims of the RawMaterials Academy are:

  • To introduce society as a whole to the importance and relevance of raw materials and incite interest in topics related to raw materials
  • To train current and future stakeholders to the technical standards required by the raw materials industry today – contextually across the entire raw materials value chain
  • To foster the entrepreneurial and innovation skills, knowledge and attitudes needed for the entre- and intrapreneurs of tomorrow

To this end, the RawMaterials Academy offers education programmes through four strands:

Business Creation and Support

Business Creation and Support activities of the EIT RawMaterials are designed to:

  • Create and develop new game changing business across Europe
  • Fast track start-ups and support the commercialization of business ideas
  • Encourage exchange and networking across different disciplines and businesses
  • Create new entrepreneurial education approaches
  • Provide funding to boost innovation from ideas to commercialization

Business Creation and Support activities aimed at transforming innovative ideas and projects into new business for existing companies (large and small) as well as through the creation of start-ups and spin-offs. The activities are composed of three major:

  • Business Idea Competition – aims at supporting and developing idea holders and research teams turning ideas into business models.
  • Start-up and SME Boosters – supports promising Start-ups and SMEs at regional Innovation Hubs (Co-Location Centres) to validate their Business models and
  • Funding Instruments – activities aimed at helping high-potential entrepreneurs find the required financial and non-financial support to bring innovative concepts to market.

EIT RawMaterials Innovation Hubs (Co-location Centers)

There are six regional Innovation Hubs in Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Poland and Sweden, called Co-Location Centers (CLCs) that represent different regional ecosystems connecting industry, research and education. There are also two EIT RawMaterials Regional Centers in Freiberg, Germany, Leoben, Austria and two Regional Hubs (RIS Hubs) in Košice, Slovak Republic and Regional Center Adria in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

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