Projects

The Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC) is a young and emerging organisation with relevant and experienced members in the raw materials and mining value chains. In this section, we show the ISMC current projects followed by a list of the most relevant projects of our member organisations.

ISMC INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

S34I – SECURE AND SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY OF RAW MATERIALS FOR EU INDUSTRY

Call: HORIZON-CL4-2022-RESILIENCE-01-08 – Earth observation technologies for the mining life cycle in support of EU autonomy and transition to a climate-neutral economy (RIA). G.A.: 101091616.

01/01/2023 – 30/06/2025

Website not available yet

S34I will research and innovate new data-driven methods to analyse Earth Observation (EO) data, supporting systematic mineral exploration and continuous monitoring of extraction, closure and post-closure activities with the aim to increase European knowledge and autonomy on raw materials resources. S34I uses EO not only for the management of technical and environmental issues for a green transition but also to support mining’s social acceptance (SLO) and better legislation. Innovative EO-based products/services will provide new or more accurate RM mineral mapping/exploration, environmental and mine monitoring and mine safety, at different phases of the mine life cycle.

ISMC: PARTNER

MaDiTraCe – Material and digital traceability for the certification of critical raw materials

Call: HORIZON-CL4-2022-RESILIENCE-01-05 – Technological solutions for tracking raw material flows in complex supply chains (RIA). G.A.: 101091502.

01/01/2023 – 31/12/2025

Website not available yet

MaDiTraCe’s main goal is to enlarge and integrate the portfolio of technological solutions reinforcing the reliability of critical raw material (CRM) tracking and the transparency of complex supply chains. The project aims to develop and test independent digital and geo-based approaches for CRM traceability and to integrate them with a generic certification scheme for CRMs throughout mineral supply chains from the mine to the manufactured and recycled products. The project intends to increase the TRL of experimental or largely untested methods in both domains, digital and material sciences. A special attention will be payed to the complexity of mineral supply chains with points of material aggregation and of transformation (processing, refining…) including circular economy (recycling). This methodology will enable downstream industrials to prove the reliability of their sustainability claims, complying with regulation in force (notably EU Battery regulation, German Supply Chain Act) and anticipating implementation of regulation to come (EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence).

ISMC: PARTNER

ExpSkills-REM Expanding Knowledge and Skills in Rare Earth Permanent Magnets Value Chain

Call: EIT Raw Materials No.: 21104

01/07/2022 – 01/07/2025

Website not available yet

This project proposes a lifelong learning course with thematic orientation Rare Earth (RE) Magnets and Motors to educate professionals who work or intend to work in the RE value chain industry. These specialists are essential to maintain and increase the resilience of the RE supply chain in Europe. The course uses a blended learning approach. The educational material includes 1 module on basic concepts of magnetism, and 5 modules the content of which covers critical aspects of the RE magnet value chain.

ISMC: PARTNER

I4-GREEN Interregional investment for the sustainable supply of raw materials in the EU Green Energy Transition (G.A.: 101084028

Call: I3-2021-INV2a-GREEN (I3-PJG)

01/11/2022 – 30/04/2025

Website not available yet

Securing access to raw materials is a crucial requisite for ensuring Europe’s recovery, resilience and essential to maintaining and improving our environment and quality of life. I4-GREEN is industry-driven, with 2 pilots at its core which will deploy circular innovations to the market focus on: 1) Unleashing the green innovation power of EU interregional Ecosystems. 2) Making mining green, circular and social through joint investments. 3) I4-GREEN stemmed from an interregional innovation network and will scale into a unique interregional ecosystem.

MINE.THE.GAP, REINFORCING RAW MATERIALS MINING SECTORS VALUE CHAINS BY INNOVATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES IN CLUSTER-RELATED SMEs (Grant Agreement: 873149)

Call: H2020-INNOSUP-01-2019

MINE.THE.GAP, led and coordinated by ICAMCyL Foundation, aims at providing technical and financial support to SMEs in the raw materials and mining sectors through direct finance of innovation projects. Technology providers from ICT, circular economy, advanced manufacturing and resource efficiency will be involved to finance at least 30 projects benefiting up to 90 SMEs.

ISMC is a partner of this project, leading the Work Package on Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation of project results.

Call: HORIZON-CL4-2021-RESILIENCE-01-07

The overall objective of the RESiLEX Project is to demonstrate 7 innovative technology and business solutions driven by the industry that cover the entire Silicon value chain to contribute to improving the resilience and sustainability of this critical material value chain cousins in Europe. RESiLEX will assess the economic, social and environmental impact of these solutions by identifying and providing open source policy-making recommendations to accelerate replication of those with the greatest potential, while addressing the cross-cutting challenges of the European mining industry as a whole with an eighth pilot cross-sectional demonstration. The project will last 4 years starting on 06/01/2022 and ending on 05/31/2026, with a budget of more than 10 million euros.

ECHO Electrical Computersided Hammering Operator

Call: EIT RAW MATERIALS – 2022 KAVA 8 UPSCALING

The ECHO project (Electrical Computersided Hammering Operator) is a project funded by EIT Raw Materials, an innovation community (KIC) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) which aims to ensure the supply of sustainable raw materials, boosting innovation, education and entrepreneurship. ECHO aims to market fully electric and programmable breakers (LEH), to address the fundamental limitations of hydraulic breakers (HBH), and to promote opportunities related to switching markets, energy conversion, digitization and data in the mining industry.The 3-year project is led by Lekatech in a consortium that represents a complete knowledge triangle with the ISMC Cluster, MNLT, KGHM and the University of Science and Technology of Wrocław.ECHO is focusing on the pilot scale demonstration of the LEH electric hammer in three real production environments in Finland, Poland and Spain in collaboration with world leaders in the raw materials sector. During the project, LEH will arrive at TRL9, while it is launched and marketed in the global market. ECHO will lead to a completely new approach to the hammering process in mining and provides an innovative, cost-effective, digitised, connected, safe, environmentally friendly and user-friendly solution

ISMC NATIONAL PROJECTS

INNOBASE

This action is developed within the framework of the call for grants for 2021 aimed at improving business competitiveness through support for Innovative Business Groups (AAEEII) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Junta de Castilla y León, co-financed with FEDER funds contributing to Objective OT3 “TO ACHIEVE A MORE COMPETITIVE BUSINESS FABRIC” of the FEDER Operational Program of Castilla y León. The INNOBASE project consists of carrying out a technical feasibility study of the different accessible databases in Castilla y León. INNOBASE will make it possible to make visible the potential and capacities of R&D&I in the extractive industry of Castilla y León, analyzing its potential for adaptation and integration with the Community KETs and improving cooperation and business competitiveness in the value chain of the raw materials.

INNOBASE will also serve to establish a baseline that will help the sector and AEI members to strengthen their long-term resilience and sustainability. To do this, INNOBASE will carry out a strategic analysis and propose future lines of action and recommendations regarding research, innovation and financing.

ASSISTANCE IN RISK PREVENTION AND MINE SAFETY

The purpose of the aid is to promote the development of projects relating to mining safety through the implementation of training measures for the in-person training of the personnel of the entities to which the General Rules Regulation applies Basic of Mining Safety. Through Working Group 4: Training, Health and Safety at Work and together with partners TECMINA, AITEMINLE and PINACAL, the Cluster participates in the Training Actions Helpline in relation to safety risks, specific hygienic and ergonomic risks, and other risks, funded by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

CLUSTERNET

This action is developed within the framework of the call for grants for 2022 aimed at improving business competitiveness through support to Innovative Business Groups (AAEEII) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Junta de Castilla y León. Multisectoral alliance for the promotion, recovery and positioning of entities and SMEs in Castilla y León in Europe. CLUSTERNET aims to prepare the habitat, renewable energy, mining, care and equipment sectors for the needs and opportunities emerging in the new European Framework Programme, with a fourfold objective:

– Mitigate the gap between sectors and existing gaps through the addition of forces and interdisciplinary debate,
– Improve the competitiveness of the sectors involved,
– To promote internationalization and innovation in the entities belonging, to facilitate them to
– Generate projects aligned with the Horizon Europe Framework.

VIGITECYL

This action is developed within the framework of the call for grants for the year 2022 aimed at improving business competitiveness through support for Innovative Business Groups (AAEEII) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Junta de Castilla y León. The VIGITECYL 22 MINAS project consists of a study and the subsequent creation of a working group for the Technological Surveillance of mining, processing and auxiliary companies in Castilla y León.

It will allow the establishment of a vertical and autonomous working group, with a vocation of indefinite permanence to improve the situation, potential and competitive capabilities in the mining industry of Castilla y León,

It will also serve to establish a baseline that will help the sector and the members of the AEI to strengthen its resilience and sustainability in the long term. To this end, it will carry out a strategic analysis and will propose future lines of action and recommendations in terms of research, innovation and financing, among the possible ones.

This project aims not only to present some indicators of interest and conclusions, but also to highlight the strategic importance of introducing technology watch processes in a mining company’s decision-making chain.

At the moment, ISMC is eligible for public funding in a number of regional, national and European calls. In addition, cluster members work actively to identify synergies that allow them to develop joint projects to improve their productivity and competitiveness. These projects are fundamentally oriented, but are not limited to, to the development and integration of new sustainable technologies in their products, processes and services.

ISMC MEMBER PROJECTS

The following table shows a list of the most relevant projects carried out by our members.

PROJECT	TITLE	FUNDING ORGANISATION	WEB	BUDGET (M€)	CLUSTER MEMBER
H2020 Borealis (GA ID: 636992) H2020-FoF-02-2014	The 3A energy class Flexible Machine for the new Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing on next generation of complex 3D metal parts	European Commission	Link	8M€	Durante Space Tech
FP7 REFORM (GA ID: 283336) FP7-2011-NMP-ICT-FoF	Resource-Efficient Factory Of Recyclable Manufacturing composite components	European Commission	Link	7M€	Durante Space Tech
H2020 LightMe (GA ID: 814552) H2020-DT-NMBP-01-2018	An Open Innovation Ecosystem for upscaling production processes of lightweight metal alloys composites	European Commission	Link	13M€	Durante Space Tech
H2020 BLU-SPARK (GA ID: 950757) H2020-EIC-FTI-2018	The first Hybrid Power Unit Retrofit Solution for airplanes	European Commission	Link	4M€	Durante Space Tech
H2020 SLIM (GA ID: 730294) H2020-SC5-13-2016	Sustainable Low Impact Mining solution for exploitation of small mineral deposits based on advanced rock blasting and environmental technologies	European Commission	Link	7M€	Minera de Órgiva
H2020 illuMINEation (GA ID: 869379) H2020-SC5-09-2019	Bright concepts for a safe and sustainable digital mining future	European Commission	Link	8.8M€	Minera de Órgiva
H2020 INTMET (GA ID: 689515) H2020-SC5-11e-2015	Integrated innovative metallurgical system to benefit efficiently polymetallic, complex and low grade ores and concentrates	European Commission	Link	7.8M€	AGQ Mining
POLIMET EXP-00082730/ITC-20151268	Desarrollo de una nueva tecnología de lixiviación para la recuperación de metales de minerales complejos y polimetálicos	CDTI – FEDER Innterconecta	Link	1.4M€	AGQ Mining
Proyecto para la prevención y valorización de efluentes y residuos mineros	Proyecto para la prevención y valorización de efluentes y residuos mineros	FEDER Andalucía	Link	0.6M€	AGQ Mining
TAAM ITC-20111083	Investigación y Desarrollo de Nuevos Tratamientos para la Mejora de la Calidad de Aguas ácidas de Minería	CDTI – FEDER Innterconecta	Link	5.3M€	AGQ Mining
CERA Project	The Certification of raw materials. Covering every raw material, across every country, under a single scheme.	EIT RawMaterials	Link	2.5M€	CONFEDEM
H2020 SCRREEN (ID: 730227) H2020-SC5-15-2016	Solutions for CRitical Raw materials – a European Expert Network	European Commission	Link	3M€	AMPHOS 21
H2020 ITERAMS (ID: 730480) H2020-SC5-13-2016	Integrated mineral technologies for more sustainable raw material supply	European Commission	Link	8M€	AMPHOS 21
ReviRis Project (ID: 19075)	Revitalising Post-Mining Regions: Problems and Potential in RIS Europe	EIT RawMaterials – RM Academy	Link	1M€	AMPHOS 21
H2020 GeoFit (ID: 792210) H2020-LCE-2017-RES-IA	Deployment of novel GEOthermal systems, technologies and tools for energy efficient building retroFITting	European Commission	Link	10M€	Comet Technology
H2020 REACT (ID: 824395) H2020-LC-SC3-2018-ES-SCC	Renewable Energy for self-sustAinable island CommuniTies	European Commission	Link	11M€	Comet Technology
H2020 BIM4REN (ID: 820773) H2020-NMBP-EEB-02-2018	Building Information Modelling based tools & technologies for fast and efficient RENovation of residential buildings	European Commission	Link	7M€	Comet Technology
H2020 SPHERE (ID: 820805) H2020-NMBP-EEB-06-2018	Service Platform to Host and SharE REsidential data	European Commission	Link	13M€	Comet Technology
H2020 UMA3 (ID: 952463) H2020-WIDESPREAD-2020-5	Unique Materials for Advanced Aerospace Applications	European Commission	In progress	0.9M€	Comet Technology