The main achievements of WP1 (Project Management) were to organize three progress meetings: an online meeting in May 2024, an in-person meeting in Paris in November 2024, and the third progress meeting in April 2025(online). WP1 was responsible for coordinating the project’s internal and external reporting processes, ensuring timely submission of all required documentation.WP1 organized the mid-term review, prepared the mid-term review report, and submitted it to the European Commission. The report summarised the project’s technical and financial progress during the first 18 months.
WP2 (Mineral systems and geology for CRM deposits) delivered a comprehensive geological knowledge base for three CRM-relevant mineral systems: cobalt-bearing VMS, lithium–tin–tantalum–tungsten granite/pegmatite-related systems, and rare earth–cobalt-bearing IOCG. The work included extensive field campaigns, drill-core logging, sampling and analytical work, geological synthesis, 3D modelling, and the compilation of mappable vectors. WP2 deliverables provided essential input for WP3's algorithmic developments and WP4's prospectivity testing frameworks. WP2 provided a set of harmonized datasets and mineral system models that will support advanced predictive mapping across Europe's major metallogenic provinces.
The main objective of WP3 (Innovative digital exploration toolbox) was the development of a GIS (Geographical Information System)-based Exploration Information System (EIS) for predictive mapping of mineral resources applying the mineral systems approach. The backbone of EIS is the “EIS Toolkit”, consisting of a comprehensive set of software tools for performing specialized tasks involved in mineral prospectivity analysis. It was successfully integrated into the “EIS QGIS Plugin” allowing usage of the tools and the workflow in the open-source GIS-software Quantum GIS (QGIS) through the “EIS QGIS Wizard” as the graphical user interface.
WP4 (Test case studies and CRM potential in Europe) focused on operational testing and validation of EIS tools through real-world case studies across Europe and South Africa. The work package encompassed three main tasks: 1) applying EIS tools to primary raw material prospectivity for three deposit types (cobalt-bearing VMS deposits, lithium-tin-tantalum-tungsten granite/pegmatite systems, and rare earth element-bearing IOCG deposits), 2) testing the tools for secondary raw materials prospectivity using mining waste data, and 3) investigating potential integration between the UNFC system and mineral prospectivity mapping. The 10+ case studies developed within WP4 collectively demonstrated the versatility and practical utility of the EIS QGIS Plugin across diverse geological settings, scales of investigation, deposit types, and user communities.
In WP5 (Engaging with stakeholders) the initial mapping of relevant projects and networks played a vital role in promoting EIS activities. The GDPR-compliant list was shared with other ongoing Horizon Europe projects to support their clustering efforts and was also distributed to DG GROW, further amplifying its impact and relevance. During the reporting period, the primary focus was placed on organizing six major events which served as key platforms for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and strategic alignment across projects and stakeholders. Collaboration with key European and international platforms, including GSEU, MRIE, ETP-SMR and OECD Mining Regions Initiative, continued. The EIS Scope Engagement Forum (ESEF) was successfully launched as a platform to foster dialogue, collaboration, and strategic alignment across the European raw materials sector.
The main objectives of the WP6 (Dissemination, exploitation, communication and improving the awareness of the general public) are to disseminate the results of the EIS project to key stakeholders; to communicate on the activities and results of the EIS project to target audiences, while raising the awareness of the general public on raw materials; and to provide an exploitation strategy for the EIS technology to meet its market and have a sustainable economic model. This WP will also be in charge of the Data Management Plan of the project. WP6 will work in close cooperation with WP5 in developing stakeholder engagement strategies towards target audiences (researchers, businesses, policy makers, citizens, etc.) and in disseminating project results within the raw materials sector and beyond.
