Objective Europe is the leading importer and consumer of rare earth minerals both in mineral and applied forms. Europe is almost dependent on others for imports of these mineral resources, despite the fact that engineering and manufacturing are backbone of many European economies. The criticality of these minerals were highlighted in European Commission’s Report of the Ad hoc Working Group on defining critical raw materials published in 2010 as well as 2014. E.U’s primary end use application of REEs includes polishing, metal alloys, magnets, and catalysts. Highest demand growth is foreseen in high tech-electric/hybrid vehicle motors, magnets, phosphors and ceramics end-markets. Though these raw materials are fundamental to Europe’s economy, growth and jobs, the importance of these minerals to European economy has never been studied thoroughly. However, responses have been initiated in different nations, economic areas and companies, with the European Commission launching the “Raw Materials Initiative (RMI)”.European Commission has identified criticality of raw materials to boost the innovation capacity of the EU along with addressing entire raw materials value chain in the Raw materials part of the Societal Challenge 5 of Horizon 2020. Therefore an empirical study on rare metals including rare earth elements and its importance to European economy in terms total demand, the issue of stable supply, recycling capacity of European companies, value addition and value chain management become important aspects to study and applying an input-output matrix and network diagram, the study will trace the entire value chain of the identified minerals from mining to intermediate products to final products and calculate the value addition in each stage Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwaste managementwaste treatment processesrecyclingengineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringmining and mineral processingengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energywind powerengineering and technologymaterials engineeringceramics Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2014-EF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2014 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF Coordinator UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN Net EU contribution € 177 598,80 Address RAPENBURG 70 2311 EZ Leiden Netherlands See on map Region West-Nederland Zuid-Holland Agglomeratie Leiden en Bollenstreek Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 177 598,80