Call for Raw Materials Commitments open until 1 March

The European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials has an open Call for Commitments, but the deadline is approaching fast. This is the second call for Raw Materials Commitments launched by the EIP and the approaching deadline for submitting commitments is 1 March 2016. 

The EIP on Raw Materials was launched in 2012 and from the very beginning SusChem has been closely engaged in its work as sustainable chemistry has a clear role to play in ensuring the success of Europe’s Raw Materials strategy and enabling a fully functioning circular economy.

Preparing a Raw Materials Commitment can have multiple positive effects, starting with direct contribution and participation in the EIP, promoting your ideas in the area of raw materials, attracting useful suggestions or additional partners, and having the possibility to influence policy amongst others.

A Commitment is an undertaking by the partners to jointly commit to cooperate and take actions that will contribute to achieving the EIP's objectives. The first Call for Commitments in 2013 led to the recognition of 80 Raw Materials Commitments (RMCs).

RMC benefits
Getting recognition as a RMC provides the following benefits:

• It raises awareness of the commitment, not only within the EIP community but also more broadly
• It gives a quality assurance to the commitment at the European level
• It guarantees accordance with the EIP (as specified in the Strategic Implementation Plan or SIP) and with the EU raw materials policy framework on which the EIP is based
• It can facilitate access to finance from various sources (however the EIP is not itself a funding instrument)
• It creates opportunities to join forces with related commitments
• It gives access to the work of the EIP's Operational Groups
• It gives visibility and access to contacts outside the EU through opportunities to participate in EU raw materials diplomacy activities

How to apply
The EIP is seeking a wide participation from across the European Union and along the entire raw materials value chain from partners who will carry out actions contributing to the objectives of the EIP. To achieve this the European Commission will regularly launch "Calls for Commitments" to mobilise authorities, industry, academia and other relevant stakeholders.

In order to obtain recognition as an RMC under the EIP, a commitment should meet all the conditions set out in Call for Commitment's Guidelines and proposals must be submitted by using the online submission form.

All submitted proposals will then be evaluated by the EIP's High-Level Steering Group.
All the information on the 2015 Call for Commitments can be found here. For more information contact the EIP secretariat.

International Days in CRM

The University of Burgos and its International Research Centre in Critical Raw Materials for Advanced Industrial Technologies (ICCRAM) is organising a conference entitled ‘International Days in Critical Raw Materials: Extraction, recycling and innovative industrial technologies’. The event takes place on 25 and 26 June in Burgos, Spain – and SusChem will be there to present!

This important event will focus on research and business opportunities meeting the challenges regarding extraction and mining, recycling and the circular economy, and substitution of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs).

Presentations will be given by relevant authorities and international actors from the European CRM scene including the Spanish authorities, the European Commission, the Nanotechnology Industries Association, Nanofutures, Euromines, EIT KIC Raw Materials, and Cefic-SusChem. Some of the speakers are shown below.

In addition, parallel technical sessions will take place on ‘Advanced Materials and CRM substitution technologies’, ‘Mining and raw materials’ and ‘Circular Economy and Recycling’.

The event will bring together researchers, experts and business people to create an environment that fosters a dialogue among the participants, leading to discussions and collaboration opportunities.

A Brokerage Event is planned for  25 June that will focus on the main topics foreseen under Societal Challenge 5 (SC5) in Horizon 2020 for the 2016/2017 work programme. An industrial business day and exchange with and between stakeholders is also planned on 26 June.

To find out more, including the full event programme, visit the conference website or register directly here. Be quick - early bird registration fees end on 1 June!

CRM_InnoNet Substitution
And don’t forget the CRM_InnoNet project is hosting a high level conference called 'SUBSTITUTION means EVOLUTION' on 17 June in Brussels. This free conference will be a one-stop shop to find out all you need to know about substitution of CRMs in Europe.

At the event you can:

• Learn about the opportunities provided by substitution and how it can solve technological challenges.
• Witness the state of play of substitution of CRMs in Europe with keynote speeches from companies and government bodies.
• Meet up with key EU industrial sectors in the area of substitution.
• Engage in discussions during dedicated panel debates to implement recommendations towards a European circular economy.
• Discuss with policy makers, industrial players, entrepreneurs and academia during the networking cocktail.
• Become part of the Innovation Network and meet potential partners for substitution projects in Horizon 2020.

At the conference you will also be able to explore applications of substitution in the exhibition space! If you wish to bring your own products and have your own stand contact the conference organisers now!

Confirmed speakers include:

• Iñigo Charola, Graphenea
• Dario della Sala, ENEA, Italian Agency for new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development
• Thomas Lograsso, Critical Materials Institute, USA
• Holger Gruenewald, Juelich Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH
• Eberhard Gschwindt, European Investment Bank (EIB)
• Mattia Pellegrini, European Commission
• Christos Tokamanis, European Commission

Find out more on the CRM_InnoNet website and you can register via this link.

More on CRM_InnoNet
The CRM_InnoNet Innovation Network is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) funded under FP7 that is creating an integrated community to drive innovation in the field of critical raw material substitution for the benefit of EU industry. SusChem is a significant supporter of the network.

For more information on CRM_InnoNet and the conference, email the project secretariat at the UK’s Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and you can also follow the project on Twitter.

Ninth CRM_InnoNet Newsletter published

The latest (ninth) issue of the CRM_InnoNet newsletter (below) has just been published and is available to download from the project website.

The March 2015 issue includes the following features:

• A summary article about the 3rd Innovation Network workshop, which was held on 11 February 2015 in Brussels
• An article about the value and continuation of the Innovation Network, including feedback from the survey
• A close-up on SINTEF, a CRM_InnoNet partner
• An online survey on R&I activities related to raw materials, put together by the European Commission and waiting for your feedback
• An announcement of the upcoming 13th SusChem Stakeholder Event in June 2015
• Information about the SusChem booth at the Plant-based Summit in April 2015
• Registration link with discount to INNOVATION FUSION for all Cefic and SusChem members
• A list of upcoming events

More on CRM_InnoNet
The CRM_InnoNet Innovation Network is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) funded under FP7 that is creating an integrated community to drive innovation in the field of critical raw material substitution for the benefit of EU industry. SusChem is a significant supporter of the network.

The European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials aims to play a major role in securing a sustainable supply of raw materials for Europe and has set itself an ambitious list of targets to achieve by 2020. CRM_InnoNet’s goals complement those of the EIP on Raw Materials and the project will seek to align its outputs with those of the EIP.

The CRM_InnoNet consortium is comprised of recognised and experienced key actors across the value chain of substitution of CRM representing academic, research and industry bodies of relevant sectors that will ensure a wide European coverage and high potential to engage other necessary players across the ERA.

For more information on CRM_InnoNet email the project secretariat at the UK’s Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and you can also follow the project on Twitter.

Eighth CRM_InnoNet Newsletter published!

The latest (eighth) issue of the CRM_InnoNet newsletter (below) has just been published and is available to download from the project website.

The December 2014 issue includes the following features:

• An invitation and registration link for the Third Innovation Network workshop that will be held on 11 February 2015 in Brussels
• An announcement of the public consultation for the project substitution roadmaps. The will open in January and run for four weeks - so stay tuned!
• A link to a survey to submit your ideas about the value and continuation of the Innovation Network
• A close-up on D’ Appolonia one of CRM_InnoNet’s partners.
• A summary article with useful links from the Information Day organised by the EC's Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) in October to present the Calls of the Horizon 2020 on Societal Challenge 5 (Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials)
• An article about the seminar that Cefic organised with ERRIN and the East and North Finland EU Office to examine the ways the European Regions and the chemical industry can work together towards sustainable use of raw materials
• A list of upcoming events focused on Critical Raw materials

Please feel free to share the newsletter with your networks and colleagues.

More on CRM_InnoNet
CRM_InnoNet is a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) funded under FP7 that is creating an integrated community to drive innovation in the field of critical raw material substitution for the benefit of EU industry. SusChem is a

The European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials aims to play a major role in securing a sustainable supply of raw materials for Europe and has set itself an ambitious list of targets to achieve by 2020. CRM_InnoNet’s goals complement those of the EIP on Raw Materials and the project will seek to align its outputs with those of the EIP.

The CRM_InnoNet consortium is comprised of recognised and experienced key actors across the value chain of substitution of CRM representing academic, research and industry bodies of relevant sectors that will ensure a wide European coverage and high potential to engage other necessary players across the ERA.

For more information on email the project secretariat at the UK’s Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and you can also follow the project on Twitter.

Innovation in Raw Materials Policies, Technologies and Strategies

The availability of raw materials and their sustainable use is of increasing concern in Europe and globally and is a significant focus for research and innovation activity. Cefic, together with ERRIN and the East & North Finland EU Office, is organising a seminar and brokerage event in Brussels on 22 October at Norway House to discuss and demonstrate how European Regions and the Chemical Industry can work together to address the challenges in this area.

With around 30 million EU jobs depending on the availability of raw materials, there is a need to bring innovation and new ideas into the sector in terms of policy initiatives such as the future Raw Materials Knowledge Innovation Community (KIC), the European Innovation Platform (EIP) on Raw Materials, and the SPIRE (Sustainable Process Industries through Resource and Energy Efficiency) PPP.

The supply and use of our raw materials must be smarter and more sustainable and, with recent increased attention on the concept of a truly circular economy, must be able to keep added value in products for as long as possible and work towards the elimination of waste.

The transition to a more circular economy requires changes throughout our value chains but also regional commitments - many of which are linked to smart specialisation strategies. This workshop will be an opportunity to get an excellent overview of EU policy and industry perspectives and how these perspectives are being implemented at the regional level.

The 22 October workshop will also be an excellent opportunity to network and to find collaborative partners for future Horizon 2020 calls in this topic. Registration is for the workshop is open now!

For more information on the workshop, please contact Antonia Morales at Cefic.

Material partners
In addition to Cefic the workshop is being organised by ERRIN and the East & North Finland EU Office.

Founded in 2001, ERRIN is a Brussels-based platform of Research and Innovation Organisations and Stakeholders based in the European regions. ERRIN aims to strengthen regional Research and Innovation capacities by exchanging information, sharing best practice, supporting European project development, helping to shape policy and raising its profile by working together for a partnership-based approach. ERRIN helps regions get their voice heard in Brussels!

The East & North Finland EU Office represents several regions of Finland in Brussels with a focus on regional policy, research, development and innovation policies, transport and energy policies, external relations, demographic challenges, industrial policies and international co-operation between the regions.

Critical Raw Materials for the EU

Raw materials are fundamental to Europe’s economy, growth and jobs and are essential for maintaining and improving quality of life. Securing reliable, sustainable access to certain raw materials is of growing concern within the EU and across the globe and the Raw Materials Initiative was instigated to manage responses to raw materials issues at an EU level. At the heart of this work is defining the critical raw materials for the EU’s economy.

These critical raw materials have a high economic importance to the EU combined with a high risk associated with their supply. SusChem has been involved with the work of the Ad-Hoc Working Group on Defining Critical Raw Materials and a revised report has recently been published.

The latest version of the report on Critical Raw Materials for Europe was completed at the end of May and has recently been published with associated materials profiles and extra annexes with additional information.

SusChem has contributed to the Ad Hoc Working Group in particular helping to widen the scope of the report.

Fourteen
In the original report published in 2010 14 critical raw materials were identified from a candidate list of 41 non-energy, non-agricultural materials. During 2013 54 non-energy, non-agricultural materials were analysed using the same quantitative methodology as previously: the economic importance of the material and the supply risk.

The overall results of the 2013 criticality assessment are shown below with the critical raw materials highlighted in the red shaded zone (top right).

Twenty
Specifically 20 critical raw materials were identified from the new list of 54 candidate materials: Antimony, Beryllium, Borates, Chromium, Cobalt, Coking coal, Fluorspar, Gallium, Germanium, Indium, Magnesite, Magnesium, Natural Graphite, Niobium, Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), Phosphate Rock, Heavy Rare Earth Elements (REEs), Light Rare Earth Elements (REEs), Silicon Metal, and Tungsten

This new list includes thirteen of the fourteen materials identified in the previous report, with only tantalum (due to a lower supply risk) moving out of the EU critical material list. Six new materials enter the list: borates, chromium, coking coal, magnesite, phosphate rock and silicon metal.

In its 2011 Communication on raw materials (COM (2011)25 of 2 February 2011) the Commission adopted the first list and stated that it would continue to monitor the issue of critical raw materials in order to identify priority actions. It also committed to undertake a regular review and update of this list at least every 3 years. The new report contains recommendations on how to improve the next revision which is planned to start in 2016.

Raw Materials launch University Days, KIC

The European Commission has recently launched a communication campaign entitled ''Raw Materials University Day'' within the framework of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials. In addition the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has launched a selection process on February 14 to set up a new Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), with partners from higher education, research and business in the area of raw materials.

One of the main challenges to the successful implementation of the EIP on Raw Materials is to communicate on the challenges and issues around the sustainable supply of raw materials to various audiences. Although Europe boasts many universities with a long tradition and excellent programmes in the raw materials sector, knowledgeable and skilled professionals are still highly in demand. Therefore, the European Commission wishes to promote skills and employment in the raw materials sector to boost competitiveness and sustainable growth while showing the huge potential of European raw materials research, development an innovation.

The aim of the Raw Materials University Day is to attract young people that are choosing what to study in further education or future graduates and inform them about the study and working opportunities in the raw materials sector.

A series of events in various Member States is planned, with University Days scheduled for four times per year between 2014 and 2020. To date 21 universities from 16 Member States have expressed their wish to take part. The next event will take place on 12 May 2014 in Darmstadt, Germany.

Speakers sought
The European Commission is seeking people from industry, research organisations and academia who are willing to participate in these events either as a speaker or in the event workshops. The purpose of the workshops, which usually take place in the afternoon, is to give students an opportunity to come closer to their future employers, and get a clearer picture of the working environment in the field of raw materials. In parallel an exhibition might be organised, where participating organisations could promote their activities.

Below is a video ''Raw Materials – the stuff that dreams are made of'', which was shown by European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani at the initial University Day event at Sapienza University in Rome on 6 December.

Vice-President Tajani said at the event in Rome: "Innovation in raw materials – be it in mining, processing, recycling, or substitution – holds the key to future growth and jobs. We need our young people to take up the challenge help to create a sustainable supply and use of raw materials in the EU".



For more information on the University Days events, the point of contact at the European Commission is Marcela Válková. The video is also available German, French, Spanish, Polish and Italian.

Raw materials KIC
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) launched a selection process on February 14 to set up two new Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), with partners from higher education, research and business. One of the two KICs will focus on raw materials – sustainable exploration, extraction processing, recycling and substitution. The application process is open until 10 September.

"This is the first step in our expansion of the EIT, with five new KICs planned over the next seven years. We're looking for great innovators and entrepreneurs with the drive to tackle concrete challenges and deliver results. I hope that many organisations will respond to this call and join us in this exciting journey," said Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner responsible for the EIT.

Following an independent evaluation of the proposals, guided by specific selection criteria, one KIC in each field will be designated.

The KICs are autonomous public-private partnerships which bring together top-class higher education institutions, research centres, companies and other organisations committed to tackling societal challenges through, among other means, the development of products, services and processes.

The partnership for the new KICs must consist of at least three organisations, established in at least three different EU Member States. It must include at least one higher education institution and one private company.

New Deadline for Material Commitments

Following some technical issues, stakeholders in the European raw materials value chain have a few more days to submit commitment proposals on the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials. The deadline for submission is now Friday 7 February.

To be successful, the EIP on Raw Materials needs to involve a large number of partners across the European Union and the entire raw materials value chain to carry out actions that contribute to its objectives. This is why the European Commission has launched an open call for commitments by actors in the private, public and non-governmental sectors including academia.

The call aims to trigger a number of individual commitments (referred to as Raw Material Commitments – RMCs) where the partners jointly commit to co-operate and take actions that can help achieve the objectives of the EIP’s Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP). The full SIP consists of two parts: Part 1 and Part 2.

What is a Raw Materials Commitment?
A commitment is a joint undertaking by several partners, who commit to carrying out activities that will contribute to achieving the EIP's objectives within the period 2014-2020. Commitments must aim at achieving one or more innovations (either directly or indirectly) and bring them to the market, such as new products, processes, services, technologies, business models or ideas that can be brought to the market. A commitment may also aim at bringing wider societal benefits through innovation.

The EIP on Raw Materials aims to improve the security of supply and the efficient and sustainable management of non-energy, non-agricultural raw materials. The EIP’s SIP proposes a range of actions necessary to achieve its objectives and targets including research and innovation along the value chain, raw materials knowledge, best practise, revision of selected legislation, standardisation, and policy dialogues.

To achieve these objectives, the European Commission will publish a Call for Commitments to Member States, industry, academia and other relevant stakeholder every two years until 2020.

EIP objectives
The EIP on Raw Materials has a number of specific objectives:

• to reduce the EU's dependency on imports of raw materials
• to promote production and exports by improving supply conditions from within and outside the EU, and by providing resource efficiency and alternatives in supply
• to bring Europe to the forefront in the raw materials sector, whilst mitigating the sector’s negative environmental, social and health impacts.

The raw materials that the EIP targets are vital inputs for innovative technologies and offer environmentally-friendly, clean-technology applications. They are also essential for the manufacture of new and innovative products required by our modern society, such as batteries for electric cars, photovoltaic systems and devices for wind turbines.

EIP Raw Materials Annual Conference Taking Place in Brussels in December

The European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials (EIP RM) has announced its Annual Conference, the first one since its creation in September 2013, which will be held at the SQUARE Meeting Centre (Room Copper Hall) in Rue Ravensteinstraat 2 in Brussels on 5 December 2013.

The aim of this annual conference is to present the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) of the Partnerships while discussing financial instruments to support the "Raw Materials Commitments" and fostering networking in the Raw Materials community.

The EIP on Raw Materials aims to provide Europe with enough flexibility and alternatives in the supply of important raw materials, whilst taking into account the importance of mitigating the negative environmental impacts of some materials during their life cycle. Its objective will be to make Europe the world leader in the capabilities related to exploration, extraction, processing, recycling and substitution by 2020.

The EIP is now moving to its implementation phase: the first goal is to involve a very large number of partners across the European Union and the entire raw materials value chain that will carry out actions contributing to the objectives of the EIP. This is why the European Commission will soon launch an open call for commitments by stakeholders in the private, public and non-governmental sectors including academia. It is anticipated that the call will trigger a number of individual raw materials commitments, where the partners jointly commit to co-operate and take actions that will contribute to achieving the objectives of the SIP, in the different action areas.

Raw materials are one of SusChem's priorities and the chemical sector has contributed to the Europe’s Raw Materials strategy with its input and expertise. SusChem and Cefic share the aims of the EIP and have contributed to the development of both the SIP and of the EIP. 

The Annual Conference will be the best occasion to form strong links with the many actors working with raw materials while ensuring that the common goal of strengthening Europe’s global position in raw materials. 

The Conference will include a poster session where the stakeholders will be able to present their priorities relevant to the EIP or to search for partners who could be interested in similar projects within the EIP priorities.

The draft agenda can be downloaded here. 

Registration for the conference is available here