Project duration: 01 September 2019 – 31 December 2021

Objective

The solution (technology)

Students coached by professional tutors will develop a project idea and will present their idea to a board of experts.

Partnership

• Università degli Studi di Padova (University of Padova), Italy (Lead Partner)
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
• Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), Sweden
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (Fraunhofer), Germany
• Centro Ricerche Fiat S.C.p.A. (CRF – C.R.F.), Italy

For more information, please visit the project web page.

Project duration: 1 July 2019 – 31 December 2021

Objective:

RAISE gives access to secondary school students to internships within research laboratories and companies operating in the raw materials sector. RAISE tackles a career guidance demand originating within schools, making youngsters aware of the career opportunities in the field, offering them tools allowing an informed university studies engagement into raw materials related disciplines. Motivated pupils will have access to two or three week internships, focused on KIC thematic pillars.

The solution (technology):

Secondary schools pupils in the two last years of their schools’ curricula are faced with one of the most important choice of their lives: deciding on their role within society, identifying how they can contribute to the wealth of the community to which they belong, matching their expectations with their talents and with the opportunities offered to them by specific sectors of the world economy.

This choice ultimately corresponds to their choice of university studies. The process is often dream driven, sometimes neglecting unwelcome feedback from the real world. On the other hand, due to a vague knowledge or the bad reputation of apparently tough disciplines, youngsters are frequently not at all aware of how passionately and productively they may be involved in studies/professional activities dedicated to little-known sectors.

In this scenario, impulsive or uninformed choices may be taken, resulting in regrettable time-wasting decisions, future unproductive and frustrating studies, or a lack of valuable talents do to unconsidered opportunities.

This project is offering pupils a first but immersive direct contact with the raw materials sector, giving them a flavour of its real world in order to facilitate their informed and committed en­gagement into studies of raw materials related disciplines. The selected students, after following their internships, will provide a wide dissemination of RM sector work experience to their peers in their classrooms and schools.

Partners:

• Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Italy (Lead Partner)
• Universita di Bologna, Italy
• Bay Zoltan Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research, Hungary
• ECODOM, Italy
• Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), Sweden
• Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria
• Relight S.R.L., Italy
• Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, UPM (Technical University of Madrid), Spain
• Università degli Studi di Milano – Bicocca (University of Milano- Bicocca), Italy

For more information, please visit the project web page.

Project duration: 1 July 2018 – 31 March 2022

Objective

The RAISESEE “RAw MaterIals Students Internships in East South East Europe” project is focused on the development of hands-on stages in a working environment for secondary schools students. The mix of basic training in lab/industry safety rules, Raw Materials themes and of hands-on stages in “real world” research institutes, universities, industries will help students toward an informed choice of their university studies, allowing pupils to match their expectations and talents with the opportunities offered by the stakeholders in different Raw Materials sectors. A specific task of RAISESEE will be also the inclusion of several partners from ESEE area as active actors in training activities.

The solution (technology)

RAISESEE will transfer to ESEE countries the hands-on internships in working environment training model by developing a common program, focused on KIC RM thematic pillars, for secondary schools students.

This training will support future T-shaped professional at very early internships of their career and stimulate future universities studies in raw materials related disciplines.

Partnership

• Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Italy (Lead partner)
• Association of Technology Engineers of Republic of Srpska (ATERS), Bosnia and Herzegovina
• hydep srl – HYdrogen for Development of Environmental Projects, Italy
• Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, BAS (IOCCP BAS), Bulgaria
• Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria
• National Institute of Materials Physics Bucharest – Magurele (NIMP), Romania
• National Mining University (NMU Ukraine), Ukraine
• Politecnico di Milano, Italy
• Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia
• University of Banja Luka (UNiBL), Bosnia and Herzegovina
• University of Oulu, Finland

For more information, please visit the project website.

Project duration: 1 April 2017 – 31 April 2019

Objective

The solution (technology)

Partnership

• Leiden University, Belgium (Lead Partner)
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (Fraunhofer), Germany
• Technische Universiteit Delft (Delft University of Technology), The Netherlands
• Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek NV – (Flemish Institute for Technological Research NV VITO), Belgium

For more information, please visit the Rama-Scene project website. 

Project duration: 7 January 2019 – 30 December 2021

Objective:

The RAMES MSc will educate geologists and engineers in developing a thorough knowledge of the raw materials value chain and its multifaceted ramifications. This entails primary and secondary raw materials, material flow analysis, key circular economy processes, and entrepreneurial skills. RAMES represents an attempt to fertilize an MSc in ore geology with disciplines of the EIT RawMaterials initiative, which will consolidate the EIT RawMaterials portfolio in EIT-labelled activities.

The solution (technology):

Today, there is a distinct separation between the ways primary and secondary raw materials (RM) are studied in academia and exploited by the industry. This generates a strong silo mentality in approaching the concepts of RM supply and circular economy, which hampers effective cooperation between complementary research areas and effective strategies for a circular economy. To face this challenge, education systems should develop an integrated system approach to the study of all aspects of the circular economy. This would generate a broad knowledge on the formation of primary and secondary RMs, what their fundamental physical-chemical properties are, how they are explored, how they can be sustainably exploited, used, and recycled, and on where business opportunities are emerging.

This 2 year, 120 ECTS MSc programme (RAMES) is designed as a blend between an MSc curriculum in Resource Geology and an MSc curriculum in Industrial Ecology including the concepts of sustainable exploitation and material sciences. It also includes concepts of economics and the business of RMs, having the objective of fostering an entrepreneurial spirit and bridging the gap between academia and industry. By enrolling in this MSc programme, students will learn how to operate throughout the RM value chain, as well as to comprehend and be involved in the elements of a circular economy.

Partners:

• Universita di Bologna, Italy (Lead Partner)
• Bio-On, Italy
• Geologian tutkimuskeskus, GTK (Geological Survey of Finland), Finland
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
• Regione Emilia Romagna, Italy
• SpacEarth Technology, Italy
• TCA-SpA, Italy
• Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, UPM (Technical University of Madrid), Spain

For more information, please visit the project website.

Project duration: 1 January 2016 – 31 December 2016

Objective

The idea of this school originates from the need to provide an ample training opportunity in which technological innovations are presented by experts in view of their environmental, economical, and societal impact. The principal objectives of the course are to provide students with a wide vision of critical material substitution in energetics and photonics including scientific, industrial, environmental, and social aspects, to promote the active participation of students to the school, to attract industries to take part in this initiative.

The solution (technology)

• Student activities: posters and oral presentations by students (2 awards assigned for the best students presentations).
• Complimentary activities: visits of university labs; visit Prysmian company; visit Crespi d’Adda, a historical workers village supported by Unesco.

Partnership

• Università degli Studi di Milano – Bicocca (University of Milano- Bicocca), Italy, (Lead Partner)
• Université de Bordeaux, France
• Université de Lorraine (UL), France
• Ovidius University of Constanta, Romania
• Institut polytechnique de Grenoble (Grenoble Institute of Technology, INP), France
• Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), France
• Agenzia Nazionale per le Nuove Tecnologie, l’Energia e lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (ENEA), Italy

Project duration: 1 April 2020 – 31 March 2024

Objective

The rapid identification of critical compounds is crucial for an adequate sorting and inherently the adapted recycling that will enable Circular Economy. RAMSES-4-CE innovates optical spectroscopy-based multi-sensor systems for the recycling industry. We focus on (1) developing a Raman sensor, (2) its integration in a LiF-HSI system (EIT inSPECtor), (3) advanced multi-source data fusion + machine learning for rapid data integration.

The solution (technology)

The steeply increasing demand for electronic devices and equipment, combined with the recent rise of high-technology greedy societal orientations like e-mobility and energy transition leads to vast amounts of e-wastes (WEEE). Most of the million tons of WEEE generated annually are only partially recycled up to now. This impedes dramatically EU goals towards Circular Economy. In order to improve recycling efficiency and thus minimize our environmental footprint, modern recycling plants need multi-component sensors that can identify rapidly complex materials accurately. We address this challenge by using a combination of imaging sensors to identify key chemical compounds in material streams. By means of hyperspectral (HSI) reflectance spectroscopy in the near- and mid-infrared range certain alloys, ceramics, and plastics can be identified and classified. Laser-induced fluorescence (LiF) spectroscopy enables the detection of rare earth elements (REEs) and low-reflective black plastics among others. In order to increase the range of waste classes characterized by our system, we propose to add a rapid, non-destructive and cost-efficient Raman sensor within the project RAMSES-4-CE. This module will be integrated into an existing sensor system, comprising laser-induced fluorescence (LiF) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI). For industrial applications, the requirements for a sensor-based sorting system implies high measurement speed (up to 1 m/s) for in-line high throughput processing, as well a high spatial resolution (about 2 mm) for the identification of the shredded recycling materials.Thus, the data generated by the individual sensors must be processed, integrated and analysed extremely rapidly. For this purpose, a rapid data processing based on machine learning will be developed. All the sensors are expected to allow integrated imaging of material streams on a conveyor belt of about 50 cm width, for comprehensive characterization and sorting. The same facility can be adapted for identification of minerals/rocks for exploration and mining purposes. The final product is a versatile and agile solution for the recycling industry, of which several industrial partners have confirmed the urgent need. The project consortium consists of a sensor technology company (FI), the geological survey of Finland (GTK), and two research institutes (IAP and HIF) who, by their specific expertises, experience and leadership will ensure the development of a prototype able to work under operational conditions.

Partnership

• Freiberg Instruments GmbH, Germany
• Geological Survey of Finland, Finland
• Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF), Germany
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V. (HZDR) (Lead Partner), Germany

01 January 2018 – 31 March 2019

Objective

Eastern and Southeastern European states including Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Kosovo, but also other European countries such as Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, and Finland have processed phosphogypsum (PG) material in the past (often originating in northern Africa) and therefore PG has piled up to enormous tailings volumes.

PFIC Greece, Agropolychim Bulgaria, and Elixir Prahovo Serbia are among the leading phosphogypsum processing and storage companies and/or institutions in the respective RIS countries, and therefore the main beneficiaries of the technology to be assessed and tested in raPHOSafe.

The benefit from this project for the ESEE region is a win-win scenario in which PG tailings stakeholders (e.g. phosphate industry, PG tailings management company, radiation agency, other government bodies) will finally be able to zero-waste recycle and remediate PG tailings in the ESEE region (with potential for worldwide application). Zero-waste recycling of PG tailings in the ESEE region will significantly reduce regional environmental and human health hazards and allows reuse of PG tailings sites for alternative income (e.g. agriculture, tourism).

The solution (technology)

This patented radionuclide classification and separation system allows to classify, sort and separate non-radioactive PG material from radioactive (i.e. PG radiation above legal radiation limits for tailings), environmentally hazardous PG. This will minimize the amount of radiologically active PG due for remediation and enables zero-waste recycling of the non-radioactive PG into construction material (e.g. dry-walling gypsum boards, cement), whereas the radioactive (226Ra-bearing Alpha radiation) PG material provides a highly sought-after resource for further processing into radiopharmaceutical applications as 223Ra for cancer medication. (e.g. Xofigo, Bayer Pharmaceuticals).

Partnership

• DMT GmbH & Co. KG, Germany (Lead partner)
• Geological Survey of Slovenia (GeoZS), Slovenia
• Mining and Metallurgy Institute Bor, Serbia
• Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria
• National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece
• Nuclear Research Group (NRG) Arnhem, Netherlands
• New University of Lisbon – Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCT NOVA), Portugal
• Université de Liège, Belgium

Project duration: 1.9.2022 – 31.8.2025

Objective:

The RaVeN is a new two-year M.Sc. degree scheme. Taking into account the wide geographical spectrum, diversification and needs for social inclusion, the capacity of higher education in the RIS and ESEE region is being built. Its main strength is its innovative approach to teaching through an active learning path by integrating the KTI along the value chain through the involvement of non-academic experts, mobility exchanges, industry, and start-ups.

The solution (technology):

Addressing the challenges of the modern economy is forcing diversification of higher education operating models and prioritizing transformation. The “Raw Materials Value Chain” (RaVeN) project responds to the portfolio analysis of the EIT Label M.Sc. Education. This one identifies a gap in the Mining Engineering Curriculum. Through the enrollment process, selected students, including students from RIS countries and the ESEE region, will take part in a four-semesters new M.Sc. Education Curriculum. A substantive value lying in its learning objective consists in a comprehensive approach to resources with an emphasis on a holistic value chain and on closing the gap between the supply of, and demand for, raw materials. The objective will be pursued along an active learning path involving students and looking for unconventional solutions that can get us closer to a more self-contained (natural resource re-circulating) and, therefore, more sustainable economy.

The four cooperating university partners, representing a broad geographical and cultural spectrum, collaborating with the two sides of the Knowledge Triangle, contribute a combination of expertise and highly entrepreneurial mindsets to the project. The innovation in the learning objective is its approach to new technologies which are viewed from the perspective of lifetime (looped) value chains. The Curriculum will aim to set up such loops in liaison with industrial stakeholders: the party able to offer non-academic insights as a practical educational and entrepreneurial inspiration for students. The expected results of this pilot project could be used in other M.Sc. Education Curricula of the EU and non-EU countries. This approach will translate into promoting entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship in situ, while countering the brain drain, particularly from ESEE and the RIS region.

Partners:

• AGH University of Science and Technology, Poland (Lead Partner)
• Institute of Non-ferrous Metals – SIEĆ BADAWCZA ŁUKASIEWICZ – INSTYTUT METALI NIEŻELAZNYCH, Poland
• La Palma Research Centre, Spain
• Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia
• Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF), Germany
• Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, UPM (Technical University of Madrid), Spain

Find out more about the project on the official website.