LinkedIn Twitter Facebook YouTube Instagram SUBSCRIBE INFOCENTER INNOVATION ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACADEMY PARTNERS NEWS EVENTS SUCCESS STORIES ABOUT Home/Delivering Impact to the European Society EIT RawMaterials partner consortia will enable the creation of new European networks, innovation and entrepreneurial activity across the entire raw materials value chain. EIT RawMaterials will support the most promising and effective solutions, which will lead to an increase in resource efficiency, a reduction of environmental impacts and increased security of supply of materials that serve societal needs. This will strengthen the European industrial competitiveness and contribute to increased employment and growth. Raw materials are critically important for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and for achieving the goals set out in COP21 and several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Metals, minerals and raw materials are essential to securing a transition to green energy technologies, to secure growth and sustainable consumption and to securing access to clean and efficient consumer technologies. The European Union is strongly committed to implementing the agreements which aim at the sustainable development of natural resources and the shift to a green economy. The examples of this and have been taken up in the EU’s Raw Materials Initiative. Europe is currently highly dependent on importing raw materials in order to secure the global competitiveness of the European manufacturing industries as well as the transition to a resource efficient sustainable society. To meet this challenge, the vision of EIT RawMaterials is to develop raw materials into a major strength for Europe. EIT RawMaterials will enable a Europe that bases its industrial strength on a cost-efficient, secure and sustainable supply and use of raw materials. In this vision, products, processes and solutions are tailored towards the closure of highly interconnected material cycles. These dynamic and fast-changing material cycles will attract new investments, enhance the innovation capacity for competitiveness and the interest of talented, skilled, entrepreneurial people. Society will become aware of the value of raw materials, and the sector will be perceived as innovative and attractive. EIT RawMaterials has defined four impact areas that reflect strategic EU raw materials aims and focus on different perspectives. The impact areas are defined as follows: Industrial competitiveness – value chain focus The EIT RawMaterials Innovation Community comprises world-leading industries that will join forces with Europe’s best universities and research organisations to develop their businesses. The industry partners are from across Europe and together cover the entire raw materials value chain. These factors will allow the industry partners to achieve breakthrough innovations that will have a mid- to a long-term positive impact on their international competitiveness. The supply-side industries in Europe will benefit directly from increased opportunities for the production of raw materials or from innovative solutions they bring to market. Mid- to long-term impact also arises from demand-side industries in Europe as choices in substitution become available and dependency on imports of raw materials is reduced. This results in significant increases of resource productivity and competitiveness of EU industries and contributes to the strategic objective of EIT RawMaterials to secure raw materials supply for Europe. EIT RawMaterials will actively contribute towards achieving these impacts through: Attracting at least EUR 800 M of external investments, either private or public, into new pilot/demonstration infrastructure as a result of calls for innovation projects (KAVAs); At least 20 industry partners attaining at least 15% savings resulting from a KAVA due to improved material and energy efficiency. Knowledge & innovation capacity – network focus The EU has identified several Key Enabling Technologies (KETs), which are crucial for European re-industrialisation and competitiveness. The partners in the EIT RawMaterials consortium and its strategic approach represent an ideal starting point to integrate and enlarge the European basis from all sides of the knowledge triangle (business, research and education partners). This approach has strong links with the KETs, whilst addressing the requirements and constraints of the raw materials sector. A number of core partners of the consortium are amongst the top ten on global patent holders’ lists within each of the six KETs. To ensure regional innovation impact, EIT RawMaterials KIC (Knowledge and Innovation Community) will integrate Regional Innovation Schemes (RIS) into its activities and specifically address Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). These companies can join the KIC and start interacting with the partners in extended user- supplier collaborations. By strengthening the SMEs’ active role in the European eco-innovation system, a significant mid- to long-term impact will be created. EIT RawMaterials will also have a short-term impact on Europe’s innovation capacity by: Implementing the KETs agenda by having a pivotal role in initiating breakthrough innovations building on a network of large demonstration and piloting environments in the field of raw materials – EIT RawMaterials aims to get at least one new KET-related breakthrough innovation accepted (with two others in progress); Developing at least 20 new or existing pilot/demonstration plants and prototypes or production units that offer improved process productivity and reduced material and energy costs, with the understanding that our initiatives will enable partners to have proof-of-concept for larger endeavours. Environmental and social sustainability – society focus All innovation actions in EIT RawMaterials embrace the principles of sustainability. The majority of commercial enterprises believe that sustainability in terms of environmental impact or occupational health and working conditions require the greatest amount of action if profitability and competitiveness are to be assured in the future. An example of this can be seen in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to which relevant KIC activities and projects will have to adhere. Where applicable, partners will use life cycle analyses to encourage environmental sustainability of their innovation activities. This can be achieved through sharing best practices among the partners. EIT RawMaterials will enhance societal perceptions of the raw materials sector through establishing improved Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication strategies. EIT RawMaterials will establish PhD, master and continuing education courses to initiate a paradigm shift towards sustainable approaches in the raw materials sector. The KIC will act as knowledge, education and transparency platform on sustainability issues that will connect partners from all sides of the knowledge triangle with other stakeholders and wider European society. These measures will have a profound long-term impact on European society, as it will contribute to Europe’s transition towards a circular economy. This aligns with the corresponding strategic objective of EIT RawMaterials to close material loops. This will be achieved by: Innovation activities that deliver novel technologies that will evolve into new best available techniques (BAT). At least three shall be fully accepted and available to the market, at least six in process of coming onto the market; A focus on waste. According to Eurostat, 37% of the average 503 kg of waste each European generates annually ends up in a landfill. From an environmental but also from a raw materials perspective this offers significant resource potential, as recognised by the EIP on raw materials. EIT RawMaterials, therefore, will activate at least 20 previously unused waste streams or deposits taken into use to recover critical or valuable raw materials. Developing, prototyping and marketing new or improved products with a reduced content of toxic materials such as Co in superhard materials for machining and rock drilling tools. The KIC will introduce 50 new or improved products with a reduced content of toxic materials to the marketplace. Integrating RIS participants into the whole scope of EIT RawMaterials initiatives (not only those classified as RIS projects) to have a true pan-European network. Due to their cross-cutting nature, EIT RawMaterials expects that these innovations will specifically drive systemic thinking. Providing knowledge, skills and technology for the design of new sustainable products and services that respond to consumer and end-user needs while at the same time substituting CRM and other (e.g., toxic) materials – resulting in at least 20 reported and proven cases of successful sustainable substitutions. Education & human capital – people focus EIT RawMaterials contributes towards stimulating the development of people that combine expert materials knowledge and an entrepreneurial mindset to drive innovation and business creation with the aim of taking Europe to the forefront in raw materials. The KIC as an organisation consisting of partners and staff is committed to make every effort in supporting diversity in our sector. For example, by bringing more women into our STEM disciplines and education activities as women tend to be under-represented. This will create a very significant mid- to long-term impact. The educational programmes and courses under the EIT label, together with partners, will deliver a holistic understanding of the raw materials value chain including interactions and trade-offs. This will lead to the formation of “T-shaped” professionals whose understanding is broad and holistic, and who will have a deep understanding of specific aspects of the value chain. There will be entrepreneurial courses and training delivered by renowned experts from the EIT RawMaterials network of excellence that utilise state-of-the-art teaching techniques. The graduates will act as change agents, intra- and entrepreneurs and will be responsive to the needs of the raw materials sector. EIT RawMaterials achieves short-term impact by establishing the necessary basis of human capital specifically by: Creating or securing 10,000 jobs in the European raw materials sector. This will be achieved by successfully attracting students to the sector, guiding and re-educating professionals and by boosting growth of start-ups in the field. Increasing the number of students entering the raw materials sector from under-represented groups, in particular women. From the high visibility and quality of the KIC’s education programmes combined with targeted outreach, EIT RawMaterials expects more than 30% of its graduates will be women. This will address the gender imbalance and also reduce the skills shortage in the sector. QUICK LINKS About Us Innovation Projects Entrepreneurship Education _ Partners Supported Start-ups Careers Contact Us CONNECT WITH US LinkedIn Twitter Facebook YouTube Instagram Copyright © 2021 EIT RawMaterials | Privacy Policy | Impressum