INTRAW consortium meeting and second experts workshop held in Falmouth, UK
The EU-funded INTRAW project started in early 2015 with the aim of mapping best practices and boosting cooperation opportunities related to raw materials between the EU and five technologically advanced non-EU countries (Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa and the United States). Each of these five countries is subject to similar global challenges and they are considered as the project’s “Reference Countries”. The outcome of the mapping and knowledge transfer activities are used as a baseline to set up and launch the European Union’s International Observatory for Raw Materials as a definitive raw materials knowledge management infrastructure. The Observatory will be a permanent international body that will remain operational after the end of the project aiming at the establishment and maintenance of strong long-term relationships with the world’s key players in raw materials technology and scientific developments. INTRAW will thus play a key role in the alignment of the Research and Innovation (R&I) activities among the EU countries, boosting synergies with international research and innovation programmes, and reinforcing the European role and scientific capabilities for the sustainable access and supply of non-agricultural and non-energy raw materials fully in line with major raw materials policy initiatives such as Europe 2020, the Raw Materials Initiative and the Strategic Implementation Plan of the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials. The representatives of INTRAW’s Joint Panels of Experts met in Falmouth, Cornwall, from 5 to 7 October 2016 in order to validate reports prepared by the project consortium that focus on Raw materials research & Innovation, Education & Outreach and Industry & Trade in the five Reference Countries. These three reports underpin the development of a better understanding of the achievements made in the five countries in relation to the entire raw materials value chain and will be presented to the public by the end of 2016. Moreover, the experts also provided precious input on the development of the business model of the International Observatory for Raw Materials. The workshop closed with a visit to the Geevor and Botallack tin mines, which are part of the UNESCO world heritage. Download here: http://intraw.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/INTRAW_press_release_10-2016.pdf
Keywords
Research and innovation, Raw materials policies and strategies, Joint educational and skills programmes, Licensing and permitting procedures, Data reporting systems, Exploration, extraction, processing and recycling practices, Management and substitution of Critical Raw Materials
Countries
Austria, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Portugal, Slovenia, United Kingdom, United States, South Africa