Conclusions from workshop on funding tomorrow's raw materials sector

On 25 and 26 May GKZ and NOVA organised MIREU’s first online workshop: Funding Tomorrow’s Raw Materials (RM) Sector. The organisers have summed up the events key discussion ahead of the publication of a report. 

Day one introduced a number of MIREU regional partners’ approaches and best practices in strategically developing a region´s RM sector in the context of public funding schemes. The main topics discussed were: 

• How raising the awareness of governments and the public on the strategic importance of raw materials may lead to better access to funds;
• How networking mining regions and stakeholders from RM sector joint ideas and messages may create a larger impact on policy decision-makers;
• What is the role of the clusters in funding of tomorrow’s RM sector, for example, as matchmakers, enablers of new development projects and connecting between regional business and at EU level;
• How can a networking project like MIREU, and subsequently organisation like CoMMER, support mining and metallurgy regions in response to the challenges raised by the Green Deal and industrial policies on the demand for RM production in the EU.

Day two focused on attracting private mining investments for the benefit of regions. The main topics discussed were: 

• The EU should consider re-evaluating the supply chain of critical industries in Europe;
• Mining in Europe – constraints, opportunities and ways to create favourable conditions for investing in the regions with rich mineral resources;
• The value of data and its accessibility;
• Skills and labour force needed in today’s mining and metallurgy sector;
• The role of SLO in the future establishment of mines in Europe.

The findings and key messages from the workshop will be summed up in a report which will be published soon. The report includes a background contextual research on EU funding programmes 2014-2020 in relation to mining and metallurgy sector, the importance of consistent policies in attracting private mining investments and the outlook of future EU policies and funding schemes from the perspective of RM sector.

Image: Nickelhütte Aue