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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

International network for training centres on mineral resources

Objectives of the commitment

This commitment is a contribution by certain European National Geological Surveys (NGS), represented by their umbrella organization, EuroGeoSurveys (EGS). The INTERMIN network should map skills and knowledge in the EU and the third countries, identify key knowledge gaps and emerging needs, develop roadmap for improving skills and knowledge, as well as establish common training programmes in the raw materials sectors.
Building on existing EGS and NGSOs European and global cooperation in mineral raw materials, INTEMIN’s overall objective will be to promote and mobilize European institutions and other international partners in creating future network to address relevant training. In addition, worldwide institutions and partners will also be identified and initial contact made with them alerting them to the upcoming plan to develop an international network of raw materials training centres.

Description of the activities

In order to achieve the INTERMIN Commitment five task activities should be addressed:
1. Identify the principal centres of excellence in Europe and around the world in raw materials training.
There are many institutions across Europe which are centres of excellence for the training of professionals in the raw materials sector. These range from Mining to Schools of Geology or the Earth Sciences; from Chemical Engineering to Materials Science Departments; from Environmental to Sustainability Schools; from Information Systems to GIS Departments. A number of National Geological Surveys offer these specialist courses, e.g. BRGM.
2. Map EU institutions for:
a. Their skills, areas of expertise and knowledge levels
b. Key knowledge gaps
The skills, areas of expertise, knowledge levels and knowledge gaps for each of the institutions identified will be mapped. This will be carried out by reference to national standards in each Member State and though a simple on-line questionnaire. All of the institutions identified along with the results of Task 2 will be entered into a Directory with an entry of one page per institution.
3. Identify the current and emerging training needs for the raw materials sector.
Several roadmaps for research topics related to raw materials have been developed in recent times. These include the SIP of the EIP on Raw Materials and the ERA-MIN roadmap. The ETP SMR is planning to prepare a research and innovation agenda for raw materials up to 2050. Many private sector companies have identified challenges for their own operations and are carrying out research to address the opportunities offered in specific areas, e.g. lower power consumption technologies, pre-concentration of ores, waste minimization and technologies for deep sea mining. These challenges and the trends in research and the emerging need for raw materials will be documented in a short report, addressing all elements of the value chain and will include as far as possible trends from around the world.
4. Establish common training programme requirements for the raw materials sector.
The raw materials sector of the future will require specialist in many disciplines and will benefit from the cross fertilization of innovative methods and ideas. There will be both generalized and specialized needs covering topics such as geology, exploration, the environment, mining, mineral processing, recycling, substitution, social sciences, legal aspects, information systems, and many others. Suggestions will be made for the development of diploma, graduate and post graduate courses which will address the skill needs challenging the raw materials sector of the future. A short preliminary report will be prepared which will summarize the training requirements for those wishing to have a career in the sector.
5. Develop a draft European roadmap for improving skills and knowledge.
As the main purpose is to develop an international network of raw materials training centre this Commitment will make initial contact with EGS’ established networks, as those with:
• The Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS). Discussions are at an advanced stage for a continental scale concept of training centres.
• The Association of Ibero-American Geological and Mining Surveys (ASGMI). Initial talks have taken place with ASGMI and counterparts from the USA and Canada for a similar action. These actions fully support the EC Industrial Policy Dialogues on Raw Materials and related initiatives.

Description of the expected impacts

The project is expected to contribute to:
- Preparing the EGS community for the H2020 Call SC5-16c (International network of raw materials training centres).
- Implementation of the Raw Materials Initiative and achieving the objectives of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials, and related Strategic Implementation Plan, in particular in terms of establishing and maintaining strong and sustainable relationships with the leading training institutions in the relevant countries.
- Increasing the EU competence and expertise in the field of the primary and secondary mineral raw materials.
- Increasing EU and global raw materials education and knowledge.
- Improved availability of qualified and skilled workforce leading to higher competitiveness of the EU raw materials industry.
- Enhancing the possibility for new cross-sectorial innovations.
- Facilitating collaboration and joint efforts with the rest of the world on mineral raw materials training activities and capacity building.

Coordinating organisation & role

Name of the coordinating organisation: EuroGeoSurveysCountry: EuropeEntity profile: Multi-national organizationRole within the commitment:

EGS provides public Earth science knowledge in support of the EU’s competitiveness, social well-being, environmental management and international commitments. Its vision is to establish a European Geological Knowledge Base and to provide a Geological Service for Europe by 2020. The commitment would be implemented by representatives from the Mineral Resources Expert Group (MREG) and the International Cooperation and Development Task Force (ICDTF).

Other partners

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V.

Name of the organisation: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V. Country: Germany Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: Fraunhofer will lead the CFRP and GFRP recycling research.
Fraunhofer will perform corrosion tests on the developed materials.
Fraunhofer will work with CIDAUT on the implementation, validation and refinement of LCCA tools for the project. Fraunhofer is the Quality Manager of the Consortium and will oversee deliverables and general reporting are produced with the best possible quality following agreed review standards.

Fundacion Cidaut

Name of the organisation: Fundacion Cidaut Country: Spain Entity profile:
Role within the commitment: CIDAUT will lead the research activities on materials recycling and compounding, implementing lab scale demonstrators of each process at its premises and, later, supporting end-users upscale the processes.
CIDAUT will perform mechanical tests, microstructural analyses, injection moulding capability studies on the developed materails, and will work with Fraunhofer on the implementation, validation and refinement of LCCA tools for the project.

RWTH Aachen University (Institute of plastic processing (IKV)

Name of the organisation: RWTH Aachen University (Institute of plastic processing (IKV) Country: Germany Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: RWTH will implement the novel 3D Generative Preforming process (3D Fibre Spraying) that enables to create high-value long fibre-reinforced 3D preforms for thermoplastic and thermoset composites at low process costs (different kinds of yarn as a raw material, low tooling costs due to low cavity pressures). This cost effective technology allows to align the sprayed fibres in order to produce high-performance, engineered anisotropic products.

Universita' di Cagliari

Name of the organisation: Universita' di Cagliari Country: Italy Entity profile:
Role within the commitment: University of Cagliari is one of the leading European organization in the resin design and coupling with thermoplastic and thermose materials. University of Cagliari will support in the definition of the composite materials, both from CFRP/GFRP, ABS and Rare Earth composite material.

Relight

Name of the organisation: Relight Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - SME
Role within the commitment: RELIGHT will work with ITRB to provide the research partners with residues for the recycled ABS supply and the REE recovery processes, including their HydroWEEE process as part of the processes to be studied and analyzed.

Piaggio Aerospace

Name of the organisation: Piaggio Aerospace Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - large company
Role within the commitment: Piaggio Aerospace is one of the project End Users (Aeronautics Industry): as such it will provide requirements and further applications that could be developed with the Consortium Materials. Piaggio will assist in the compounds selection, provide Fraunhofer with specific corrosion requirements on business jet size aircraft, and will assess that the developed materials performance fits the selected applications desired improvements.

Blackshape Aircrafts

Name of the organisation: Blackshape Aircrafts Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - SME
Role within the commitment: Blackshape Aircrafts is one of the project End Users (Aeronautics Industry): as such it will provide requirements and further applications that could be developed with the Consortium Materials. Blackshape will support to fulfill the requirements of the aeronautics industry on ultra light jet, light jet and trainer for Syllabus, and will assess that the developed alloys performance fits the selected applications desired improvements.

KU Leuven

Name of the organisation: KU Leuven Country: Belgium Entity profile: Academia
Role within the commitment: KUL will collaborate on the balance problem studies and will lead the rare earth recovery research with the solvometallurgical and ionometallurgical processes.
KUL will also contribute to the final compounding selection.
KUL is the Dissemination Manager of the project, promoting that all partners are active on the project Dissemination.

FIDAMC

Name of the organisation: FIDAMC Country: Spain Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: FIDAMC is going to lead the Work Package on Compression Moulding with CFRP-enhanced materials. As part of the AIRBUS Group, FIDAMC will also be able to provide the input material.
FIDAMC successfully developed a 3D Printer of own design to serve the Aerospace Industry and will be supporting Smart Lab 3D Industries in its 3D printer design.

COMPOSITE INNOVATION CENTER

Name of the organisation: COMPOSITE INNOVATION CENTER Country: Canada Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: Composite Innovation Center is one of the world leading organization in the field of Composite materials, both from carbon fiber and vegetal-based fibers.
Composite Innovation center has successfully implemented, at lab-scale, recycling processes for CFRP and GFRP.

Existing EU Contribution: No

Period to implement the commitment: from 02-01-2017 to 01-01-2020