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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Objectives of the commitment

Sweden's minerals strategy will increase the competitiveness of the Swedish mining and minerals industry so that Sweden maintains and strengthens its position as the EU’s leading mining nation. Sweden’s mineral assets are to be exploited in a long-term sustainable way, with consideration shown for ecological, social and cultural dimensions, so that natural and cultural environments are preserved and developed. The primary target group for the mineral strategy is the Swedish mining, industrial minerals and aggregate industry and the actors who contribute to or are affected by the industry’s activities. Sweden has several strong enterprises that supply technically advanced equipment to industrial mining and minerals enterprises. Some of these businesses are world leaders in their respective sectors and have significant market shares. Creating the prerequisites for growth in the mining and minerals industry also strengthens the conditions for its suppliers, which is beneficial to Sweden. Some of the measures presented in the strategy also have a direct bearing on the suppliers. The minerals strategy deals with non-energy minerals for
industrial purposes. The term “mining and minerals industry” refers to enterprises that produce ore for metal extraction, aggregate, industrial minerals and natural stone.

Description of the activities

In the minerals strategy, the Government identifies five strategic objectives that are considered to be of particular importance in order to reach the strategy’s vision. These objectives are:
1. A mining and minerals industry in harmony with the environment, cultural values and other business activities.
2. Dialogue and cooperation to promote innovation and growth.
3. Framework conditions and infrastructure for competitiveness and growth.
4. An innovative mining and minerals industry with an excellent knowledge base.
5. An internationally renowned, active and attractive mining and minerals industry.

Within these five strategic objectives, there are eleven action areas to which a number of goals and measures are connected. These action areas are:
1. Greater resource efficiency
2. Better dialogue and synergy with other industries,
3. Mining communities with attractive natural and cultural environments,
4. Promotion of societal development and regional growth,
5. Clearer distribution of responsibility and better flow of information among actors in the industry,
6. A clearer and more effective regulatory framework,
7. Infrastructure investments for growth in the mining industry,
8. Research and innovation that create growth and competitiveness,
9. Skills supply that meets the needs of the industry and the regions,
10. A good supply of capital and promotion of investment,
11. Greater participation in the international arena.

Description of the expected impacts

The Swedish minerals strategy takes an integrated approach in order to create beneficial conditions, and identify opportunities and challenges so that the mining and minerals industry can grow sustainably and keep pace with the opportunities provided by today’s strong international demand for metals and minerals.

Coordinating organisation & role

Name of the coordinating organisation: Government Offices of SwedenCountry: SwedenEntity profile: Governmental/public bodyRole within the commitment:

Implementing the strategy

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 07-02-2014 to 07-02-2024