Periodic Reporting for period 2 - VERAM (Vision and Roadmap for European Raw Materials)
Reporting period: 2017-06-01 to 2018-05-31
VERAM aims to provide an umbrella and coordination function for the raw materials related research and innovation activities across the relevant European Technology Platforms (ETPs) and their national technology platforms, as well as other related stakeholders across the raw materials value chain, in order to increase synergies and facilitate uptake of research results and innovation across the sectors and their value chains. Research and innovation activities in the area of primary and secondary raw materials – their use, reuse and when relevant substitution – are dispersed between different players and supported by a variety of fragmented funding sources both on the EU- as well as on Member States’ level. VERAM aims to create a critical mass by bringing together the stakeholders represented by the ETPs and corresponding ERA-NETs. The consortium includes representatives from five different ETPs, covering mineral resources, forestry-based sector, advanced engineering materials and technologies, sustainable chemistry and construction – a partnership that includes expertise from downstream applications and additional expertise on secondary raw materials. The project also includes the involvement of the ERA-MIN and WoodWisdom-Net research networks in order to ensure the interaction with the national R&I funding providers.
The project encourages capacity building as well as transfer of knowledge and provides an innovation reference point for the EIT RawMaterials. It has helped coordinate the network of people involved in the EIP RM Commitments and the relevant projects funded under Horizon 2020 through clustering events and provides a platform to help identify gaps and complementarities and bridge these. As one of its primary deliverables, VERAM published a set of recommendations on future research needs and tools to stimulate innovation and assist in overcoming the fragmentation in the implementation of the EIP on RM SIP, which the European Commission and national governments could use to shape future research and innovation programmes. The VERAM recommendations encourage mutually beneficial information exchange, cross-fertilization between actions undertaken by different raw material industries and should help speed-up exploitation of breakthrough innovations by bringing industry and technology providers closer to the research community. The final results of the activities, which will be fully published on the VERAM website, focus on a common long term vision and research and innovation roadmap towards 2050 for the relevant raw materials, including metals, industrial minerals, aggregates and wood.
The project encourages capacity building as well as transfer of knowledge and provides an innovation reference point for the EIT RawMaterials. It has helped coordinate the network of people involved in the EIP RM Commitments and the relevant projects funded under Horizon 2020 through clustering events and provides a platform to help identify gaps and complementarities and bridge these. As one of its primary deliverables, VERAM published a set of recommendations on future research needs and tools to stimulate innovation and assist in overcoming the fragmentation in the implementation of the EIP on RM SIP, which the European Commission and national governments could use to shape future research and innovation programmes. The VERAM recommendations encourage mutually beneficial information exchange, cross-fertilization between actions undertaken by different raw material industries and should help speed-up exploitation of breakthrough innovations by bringing industry and technology providers closer to the research community. The final results of the activities, which will be fully published on the VERAM website, focus on a common long term vision and research and innovation roadmap towards 2050 for the relevant raw materials, including metals, industrial minerals, aggregates and wood.
The project has just come to the end of its 30 months duration as a Horizon 2020 funded CSA. A large amount of background work was done to lay the foundations for the vision and roadmap – this included the launch of an online platform that gathers data on current and past projects in the area of raw materials, both at national and EU level, which has contributed towards the gap analysis. A wide ranging study has also been carried out on the relevant players and their roles in the raw materials research and innovation network, the current funding landscape and future scenarios, along with their possible societal challenges and the corresponding needs of global markets and EU industries. Alongside a series of stakeholder consultations and expert workshops, these studies have all contributed towards shaping a substantial 2050 Roadmap for European Raw Materials Research and Innovation, that is practical for both policy makers and research programming authorities, as well as current industry players and other stakeholders across the value chain. The final product, now available to download on the VERAM website, contains detailed recommendations on future research and innovation actions to undertake in the medium term, by 2030, and longer term, by 2050, which should help maintain a sustainable and secure supply of raw materials required by European industry in the long term.
Throughout the process, it has been crucial to maintain regular and open communication channels in order to keep the relevant stakeholders and policy makers aware of the progress and allow for their feedback to be considered in the roadmap development. VERAM participated in a number of conferences and workshops, often with a keynote presentation, which helped to fulfill this key aspect of the project and to ensure its success. By involving a wide network of key players within the project from the very beginning, the recommendations laid out within the VERAM Roadmap are ready to be taken up without delay.
Throughout the process, it has been crucial to maintain regular and open communication channels in order to keep the relevant stakeholders and policy makers aware of the progress and allow for their feedback to be considered in the roadmap development. VERAM participated in a number of conferences and workshops, often with a keynote presentation, which helped to fulfill this key aspect of the project and to ensure its success. By involving a wide network of key players within the project from the very beginning, the recommendations laid out within the VERAM Roadmap are ready to be taken up without delay.
The VERAM project has contributed to advancing on the following key impacts:
1. A coordinated EU policy on Raw Materials will raise confidence in the related activities and sectors bringing back investors and financing mechanisms.
• VERAM investigated three vastly different future scenarios for the EU raw materials sector towards 2050 and discovered that, with sufficient levels of investment in research and innovation and by addressing the correct gaps, even the worst case scenarios can be mitigated against. With longer term security for the raw materials sector within the EU, investment should become more attractive and along with it the necessary financial mechanisms to support further development. The Roadmap 2050 also shows how different actors within the raw materials sector can collaborate on cross-thematic research actions, thereby having a and defragmenting effect on European raw materials R&I activities.
2. The work will prevent unnecessary overlaps in technology-related innovation activities undertaken on EU, national and regional level, more efficient use of resources and shortening time for results.
• The VERAM Roadmap recommendations to 2030 and 2050 will help coordinate how the long-term strategies of industry, researchers and public authorities are developed. Having considered and involved the most relevant research and innovation programming initiatives at both EU (H2020, EIT RawMaterials) and national level (ERA-MIN2, WoodWisdom-Net+), the risk of overlaps in activities has been significantly reduced.
3. Unite the stakeholders of the relevant European Technology Platforms under a joint vision for 2050 and a R&I Roadmap 2050
• The relevant ETPs have actively contributed and provided feedback on project progress throughout, with five ETPs directly involved in the VERAM project. Each sector represented has had the opportunity to ensure the Roadmap encompasses the interests of the whole community. The collaboration across sectors that have traditionally been more insular in their research activities has resulted in the discovery of commonalities that were not considered before between the biotic sector and the minerals, metals and aggregates sectors and their respective value chains. This should also allow streamlining and accelerating market uptake of innovations that address key challenges for Europe. With the current Horizon 2020 research funding programme coming to an end, the results of the VERAM gap analysis, vision and roadmap recommendations could also provide a clear direction for future raw materials research and innovation programming in the EU. With the conclusion of the project, the ETPs involved have already expressed their intent to continue discussions on common areas of interest, since new research priorities will continue to emerge with time.
1. A coordinated EU policy on Raw Materials will raise confidence in the related activities and sectors bringing back investors and financing mechanisms.
• VERAM investigated three vastly different future scenarios for the EU raw materials sector towards 2050 and discovered that, with sufficient levels of investment in research and innovation and by addressing the correct gaps, even the worst case scenarios can be mitigated against. With longer term security for the raw materials sector within the EU, investment should become more attractive and along with it the necessary financial mechanisms to support further development. The Roadmap 2050 also shows how different actors within the raw materials sector can collaborate on cross-thematic research actions, thereby having a and defragmenting effect on European raw materials R&I activities.
2. The work will prevent unnecessary overlaps in technology-related innovation activities undertaken on EU, national and regional level, more efficient use of resources and shortening time for results.
• The VERAM Roadmap recommendations to 2030 and 2050 will help coordinate how the long-term strategies of industry, researchers and public authorities are developed. Having considered and involved the most relevant research and innovation programming initiatives at both EU (H2020, EIT RawMaterials) and national level (ERA-MIN2, WoodWisdom-Net+), the risk of overlaps in activities has been significantly reduced.
3. Unite the stakeholders of the relevant European Technology Platforms under a joint vision for 2050 and a R&I Roadmap 2050
• The relevant ETPs have actively contributed and provided feedback on project progress throughout, with five ETPs directly involved in the VERAM project. Each sector represented has had the opportunity to ensure the Roadmap encompasses the interests of the whole community. The collaboration across sectors that have traditionally been more insular in their research activities has resulted in the discovery of commonalities that were not considered before between the biotic sector and the minerals, metals and aggregates sectors and their respective value chains. This should also allow streamlining and accelerating market uptake of innovations that address key challenges for Europe. With the current Horizon 2020 research funding programme coming to an end, the results of the VERAM gap analysis, vision and roadmap recommendations could also provide a clear direction for future raw materials research and innovation programming in the EU. With the conclusion of the project, the ETPs involved have already expressed their intent to continue discussions on common areas of interest, since new research priorities will continue to emerge with time.