ExpectedOutcome:
Projects outcomes will enable achieving the expected impacts of the destination by increasing access to primary raw materials and secondary raw materials, in particular critical raw materials[1] for EU industrial value chains and strategic sectors.
Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:
-Strengthen EU cooperation with resource rich countries;
-Provide new relevant life cycle inventory data sets based on requirements for Environmental Footprint compliant datasets[2] and in line with the 2021 Recommendation on the use of the Environmental Footprint methods[3], particularly focusing on the existing knowledge gaps (e.g., new technologies for open pit and underground mining).
-To evaluate the environmental performance of the technologies a Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) study will be produced.
-Improved industrial viability, safety and environmental impacts of the operation in a way that leads to measureable improvements;
-Improved diversification EU sourcing of critical raw materials from third countries;
-Improved responsible supply of raw materials to Europe in line with the EU principles for sustainable raw materials, which are a non-regulatory set of principles based on the EU acquis. They set out requirements for sustainable raw materials and extraction and processing in Europe in terms of social, environmental and economic performance.[4]
Dissemination and exploitation of projects outputs is tailored for organisations and industry dealing with raw materials in the EU and project partner countries in resource rich countries;
In order to achieve the expected outcomes, international cooperation with partners established in resource rich countries with which the EU has strategic partnerships on raw materials is strongly encouraged.
Actions are expected to contribute to the implementation the EU action plan on Critical Raw Materials.[5]
Scope:
The actions in this call should also be pursued with a view on developments in the call "HORIZON-CL4-2023/2024-RESILIENCE-01-02: Innovative technologies for sustainable and decarbonised extraction" in terms of industrial viability, safety and environmental impacts.
Actions are expected to develop and demonstrate extraction and processing technologies to facilitate exploitation of the primary raw critical raw materials (minerals and metals only) for the EU to strengthen the EU supply chains.
Actions have to collaborate with Canada or Ukraine, following the strategic partnership on raw materials established in 2021 between the EU and Canada[6] and with Ukraine. [7][8]. The consortia should contain raw materials industry from at least one of the partner countries and raw materials users from the EU. Technology should be demonstrated on the resources of the partner country.
Actions should envisage clustering activities with other relevant selected projects for cross-projects co-operation, consultations and joint activities on cross-cutting issues and share of results as well as participating in joint meetings and communication events. To this end proposals should foresee a dedicated work package and/or task, and earmark the appropriate resources accordingly.
Actions should facilitate the market uptake of solutions developed through industrially- and user-driven multidisciplinary consortia covering the relevant value chain and should consider standardisation aspects when relevant. The action should also include the analysis of financial opportunities ensuring the market exploitation and replication of the circular business model behind the developed solutions as new processes, products and/or services.
Proposals submitted under this topic should include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination. For TRLs 6-7, a credible strategy to achieve future full-scale deployment in the EU is expected, indicating the commitments of the industrial partners after the end of the project.
In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and/or gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement, however, should you consider it to be of relevance for your specific proposal, you are strongly encouraged to do it.
Specific Topic Conditions:
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 6-7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
[1]https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-raw-materials_en
[2]See JRC Guide_EF_DATA.pdf (europa.eu)
[3]Commission Recommendation (EU) 2021/2279 of 15 December 2021 on the use of the Environmental Footprint methods to measure and communicate the life cycle environmental performance of products and organisations C/2021/9332, OJ L 471, 30.12.2021, p. 1–396
[4]https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6d541f66-0f81-…
[5]COM (2020) 474
[6]https://ec.europa.eu/growth/news/eu-and-canada-set-strategic-partnershi…
[7] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_3633
[8] The geographical scope of the topic may be revised before the call is launched, should new circumstances or priorities emerge
