Networking Regions

Intensified collaboration in East and North Finland through MIREU & REMIX

Hilary Webb — Tue, 11 May 2021 08:54:36 +0000

Intensified collaboration in East and North Finland through MIREU & REMIX Hilary Webb Tue, 11/05/2021 - 10:54

MIREU partner regions North Karelia and Lapland from Finland have been activators in the development of interregional collaboration among all East and North Finland Regions (Central Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, Lapland, North Karelia, Northern Ostrobothnia, Pohjois-Savo and South Savo). The REMIX project resulted in regional action plans to encourage to use the opportunities of smart and green mining in the regions generating an emerging SME industry, jobs and vitality to the regions. Both regions support the actions where SME service development will be better integrated into mining value chains operations.

In the regions, the potential for SMEs operating in the mining sectors to grow was clearly recognised. Regions also noticed that this development would require extra effort from the regional business developers. Therefore, the North-Karelia region launched the ‘Development of international cooperation, businesses and investment projects in global value chains in mining industry – GloMine’ project, funded by the ERDF. GloMine is a joint project of the Business Joensuu (leader) from North-Karelia and Digipolis from Lapland (Arctic Industry and Circular Economy Cluster). GloMine is a balanced combination of the regions’ specific and generic development, which is benefiting from the partners’ complementary competencies.

In Business Joensuu, GloMine is supporting Outokumpu Sustainable Mining Solutions Hub establishment. The aim is to create an internationally leading centre of excellence in the extractive industries, managing the circular economy practices throughout the mining industrial value chain. The hub will provide sustainable innovation and development services to the mining industry in Finland and globally. The service’s core production is based on the Geological Survey of Finland GTK’s more than a hundred years of experience in utilising the raw materials of the earth’s crust. The hub is strongly anchored in Outokumpu Industrial Park and its surroundings while networking nationally and internationally.

For Digipolis, the focus of the GloMine project is in integrating the competence and knowledge of Digipolis, connecting the Arctic Industry and Circular Economy Cluster to the efforts of the Finnish SMEs in strengthening European cooperation and cluster level collaboration. Digipolis supports the GloMine project by operationalising the cluster services for the benefit of the SMEs. The broad national and international network of Digipolis in mining and industrial circular economy provides the GloMine project with significant value-added elements.

In autumn 2020, East and North Finland regional governors launched an initiative to develop East and North-Finland’s mining action plan 2021-2024 – responsible mining as a regional strength. The action plan was developed by the GloMine project with the support of the working group representing regions, expert organisations and ministerial level. During the action plan development, the MIREU and CoMMER were also introduced and the East and North Regional Office in Brussels took an active role in the CoMMER development as ERRIN’s task force on Raw Materials.

For more information contact: Ilkka.Nykanen@businessjoensuu.fi; teemu.saralampi@digipolis.fi

Comments

Networking Regions

Framework Conditions for Mineral Raw Materials Exploitation

Business Joensuu

Geological Survey of Finland

SmartNorth

Tue, 11/05/2021 - 11:00

Public / Private

Public

Deliverable 2.6

Hilary Webb — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 08:41:00 +0000

Deliverable 2.6 Hilary Webb Wed, 28/04/2021 - 10:41

Deliverable 2.6 from the MIREU project.

Comments

Networking Regions

Partner

GKZ

University of Exeter

Date

Wed, 28/04/2021 - 10:41

Public / Private

public

Document

Deliverable 2.6_2021-04-28_2784.pdf

Virtual Networking between Cornwall & Saxony

Hilary Webb — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 15:35:13 +0000

Virtual Networking between Cornwall & Saxony Hilary Webb Thu, 19/11/2020 - 16:35

As part of the MIREU project, the regions of Cornwall & Saxony are involved in a Twinning Project with the regions represented by The University of Exeter (UNEXE) and Geokompetenzzentrum Freiberg (GKZ). The regions share extensive mining heritage, both hosting Mining Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and are experiencing a green revolution fuelled resurgence in the geo-resources sector.

The project enables the regions to exchange experience, knowledge and best practice while stimulating innovation, co-operation, and research. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the MIREU Mining Heritage Workshop, co-organised by UNEXE & GKZ, planned to be held in Cornwall in April 2020 was cancelled.

To replace the lost networking opportunities between the regions UNEXE and GKZ organised a series of virtual networking sessions targeting Cornish stakeholders that would have attended the heritage workshop.

The first was a joint presentation to the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall, founded in 1814 to promote the study of the geology of Cornwall with attendees comprising of a mixture of professionals, enthusiasts, students and retirees. As a result of the talk, RGSC has expressed interest in organising a society trip to Saxony when possible.

Secondly, in collaboration with Future Focus, UNEXE and GKZ presented at a Future Focus Business Breakfast. The business breakfasts are a series of talks designed to strengthen the links and collaboration opportunities between the mining industry, and related sectors, and research in Cornwall. A poll was circulated following the talks with all ‘respondees’ wishing to have further involvement with the twining project. 42.9% expressed interest in an online networking event and 28.6% in an in-person visit to Saxony/Cornwall.

According to the poll result, UNEXE and GKZ are now organising a follow-up online event to be held by the end of 2020 to investigate which business and research fields are of the participants’ main interest and the possibility of match-making. Furthermore, the Cornish and Devon regional authorities expressed interest in discussing mining regulation and planning with the Saxon mining authority, as such a separate event is being planned to bring these groups together.

More information about Cornwall & Saxony, the links between them and the twinning project can be found in an upcoming deliverable.

Rowan Halkes & Meng Chun Lee

Comments

Networking Regions

GKZ

University of Exeter

Fri, 20/11/2020 - 15:00

Public / Private

Public

Deliverable 2.2

Hilary Webb — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 12:49:30 +0000

Deliverable 2.2 Hilary Webb Wed, 14/10/2020 - 14:49

The attached document is deliverable 2.2 from the MIREU project.

Comments

Networking Regions

Date

Wed, 14/10/2020 - 14:49

Public / Private

public

Document

Deliverable 2.2_2020-10-14_2736.pdf

Category

Project Deliverables

Networking Matrix v.10

Hilary Webb — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 14:15:18 +0000

Networking Matrix v.10 Hilary Webb Wed, 03/06/2020 - 16:15

The Networking Matrix is a theoretical approach in WP2 to support Networking Regions.

Comments

Networking Regions

Partner

AGH University of Science and Technology

GKZ

National Technical University of Athens

NOVA University of Lisbon

SIEMCALSA

University of Exeter

Date

Wed, 03/06/2020 - 16:15

Public / Private

private

Document

Networking Matrix v.10_2020-06-03_2689.pdf

Category

Reports

Deliverable 2.1

Hilary Webb — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 13:37:45 +0000

Deliverable 2.1 Hilary Webb Fri, 10/04/2020 - 15:37

The attached document is deliverable 2.1 from the MIREU project.

Comments

Networking Regions

Date

Fri, 10/04/2020 - 15:37

Public / Private

public

Document

Deliverable 2.1_2020-10-14_2737.pdf

Category

Project Deliverables

3rd SLO stakeholder workshop - briefing memo

Ryan Titley — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 14:40:19 +0000

3rd SLO stakeholder workshop - briefing memo Ryan Titley Thu, 02/01/2020 - 15:40

This is the briefing memo from the 3rd MIREU SLO stakeholder workshop with the theme ‘ensuring SLO is adaptive and resilient" which took place on 5-6 June 2019 in Brussels, Belgium. This workshop was the third and last in a series of stakeholder workshops organised in the MIREU project.

This report presents a summary of the discussions and outcomes of the workshop.

Comments

Networking Regions

Social License to Operate

Date

Tue, 01/10/2019 - 15:40

Public / Private

public

Document

3rd SLO stakeholder workshop - briefing memo_2020-01-02_2264.pdf

Category

Reports

Castilla y León - EU cluster matchmaking event

Ryan Titley — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 16:21:21 +0000

Castilla y León - EU cluster matchmaking event Ryan Titley Mon, 16/12/2019 - 17:21

The Institute for Business Competitiveness of Castilla y León (ICE) organised in coordination with GKZ Freiberg and in collaboration with the Santa Bárbara Foundation the Castilla y León – EU Cluster Matchmaking Event within the framework of the REMIX project and as part of the European Commission´s EU Cluster Week initiative. The focus of the event was on how to strategically partner clusters and specialised eco-systems across Europe and show the best practices in such collaborations for stimulating new partnerships.

The event was proudly part of the first series of the EU Cluster Weeks 2018-2019, which help to promote national, regional and local cluster events, and to support SMEs’ growth, industrial transformation and regional economic development. The collaboration with the European Commission is a successful example of the EU´s efforts to build strong interregional collaboration to help strengthen business environments for business owners across Europe.

The Castilla y León – EU Cluster Matchmaking Event took place in April and was a great success with a good turnout of people. The importance and value of analysing the eco-systems and networking potential of EU industrial clusters, in order to foster their industrial members’ competitiveness in exploiting their innovation and demonstrating their growth potential in key presentations according to a systemised structure was one of the objectives of the event. Many key players such as the European Commission, the OECD, the EIT RM HUB CENTRUM KOŠICE, the Polish Stonemason's Cluster, and several other entities presented their way of practicing sustainable interregional cooperation in the field of raw materials. The event was an opportunity for attendees to meet peers from the same cluster topic and to broaden their knowledge, skills and business connections on an international, national, regional and local level.

The Castilla y León – EU Cluster Matchmaking Event was an opportunity to team up EU countries and their regions, to encourage European partnerships, to raise awareness of the role of clusters and their achieved results, and to collect feedback on common challenges and the ways they can be addressed in future initiatives. These EU, national and regional partnerships demonstrate the importance and success of such collaborative endeavours in supporting SMEs in their expansion and growth efforts.

The event ended with a visit to the facilities of the Santa Bárbara Foundation. The participants had the opportunity to visit the Foundation's unique facilities, such as the experimental tunnels, the open pit mine, the underground mine or the geothermal plant, among others. In addition, they learned about the entity's activities in terms of professional and specialised training and research and development.

If you are interested in the presentations from the Castilla y León – EU Cluster Matchmaking Event sessions, they can be viewed here.

This article was written by Melania V. Istrate, The Institute for Business Competitiveness of Castilla y León.

Comments

Networking Regions

ICAMCyL

Junta de Castilla y León

Tue, 21/05/2019 - 09:00

Public / Private

Public

Skills and research for the mining of the future

Ryan Titley — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 08:54:25 +0000

Skills and research for the mining of the future Ryan Titley Fri, 20/12/2019 - 09:54

Until recently, mining was a synonym for the industrial crisis of “old” Europe. Mine shafts became a part of our industrial heritage and a reminder for a vanished tradition. But times have changed: mining in Europe plays a more and more important role in securing access to important raw materials for the future.

But where are the experts and the future innovations for the mining of tomorrow? What is necessary in research to assure that Europe can explore important raw materials on its own territory? How will mining fit into an increasingly circular economy? The Saxony Liaison Office in Brussels organised a side event to the European Week of Cities and Regions with the title Skills and Research for the Mining of the Future, where speakers from the field discussed and debated these questions.

Mining is still big business in Europe with 320,000 jobs and around 30,000 mines and quarries. Raw materials are the start of increasingly complex value chains. But as the importance of minerals increases, Europe is faced with importing valuable materials. As battery technologies improve and usage increases, the EU only produces 1% of its needs in lithium and graphite. This is why raw materials are no longer an afterthought but are a key aspect of the future EU policy.

Europe faces a supply challenge but has a long history of mining technology and skills. We now need to pick up the new challenges in techniques, technologies and talent and also exploit the networks that exist around Europe in mining. Mining is not just technology and talent but also must respond to social challenges and here there is a need to improve links to the local communities through ‘social licences to operate’ which build legitimacy and trust. Mines are man-made and as such can have a life after their lifetime – industrial heritage, re-landscaping encouraging new tourism, industrial usage, agriculture, energy storage, etc. Mines can also serve as research infrastructure and more thinking needs to be done around open access for researchers from across the EU and the standardisation, collection and sharing of data.

Support for mining and raw material production can come from many levels. The EIT on Raw Materials encourages a systematic approach to research, innovation and business development. The mining project MIREU encourages regions to share expertise and coordinate mining activities within regional innovation strategies where appropriate.

Please find below the presentations from the Saxony event Skills and Research for the Mining of the Future.

Comments

Networking Regions

GKZ

Thu, 18/10/2018 - 10:00

Public / Private

Public

Document

Skills and Research for the Mining of the Future_2019-12-20_2144.pdf

Skills and Research for the Mining of the Future_2019-12-20_2145.pdf

From Saxony for Europe - skills and research for the mining of the future

Ryan Titley — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 11:40:38 +0000

From Saxony for Europe - skills and research for the mining of the future Ryan Titley Thu, 19/12/2019 - 12:40

Under this topic the Saxon Liaison Office in Brussels, represented by Director Christian Avenarius, welcomed about 60 representatives from mainly Brussels based institutions to the side event From Saxony for Europe - Skills and Research for the Mining of the Future at the European Week of Regions and Cities. The focal point of the event was the Freiberg based research mine, which is a fully operational active mine and in-situ lab for underground research. The Rector of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Professor Barbknecht, opened this half-day event which was aiming at a critical review of EU mining and the need for large scale research infrastructure.

As this topic is one of the building stones of the work on networking mining regions, the MIREU project participated with Dr Wolfgang Reimer from GKZ Freiberg and Professor Michael Hitch from Tallinn University. Both speakers explained how MIREU can contribute to valorising regional large scale research infrastructure, and how Social License to Operate (SLO) determines the process of mining acceptance as a major precondition for an enlargement of mining research across Europe. Richard Tuffs from ERRIN moderated the session, bringing an interested, but in the mining topic rather inexperienced, audience together with the speakers and panellists.

Rodrigo Chanes Vicente from DG GROW gave an introduction to the EU mining sector, which with its 320,000 jobs is an important contributor to the industrial wealth in the EU. However, despite the estimated duplication of supply demand of metallic minerals by 2050, European mining faces a decline as the EU's part amounts to only 3.2% of world-wide exploration expenses.

The still unpublished RM scoreboard 2018 shows that even recycling faces limits, which was given by the global material flow across the value chain for aluminium.

The present survey of the Member States on European cobalt, lithium, graphite and nickel production once more highlighted Europe's supply risk in future battery commodities.

Gauthier Grousset from DG EAC informed about EIT Raw Materials and other existing cross-European research networks to foster industrial research in the EU, in order to lower the supply risk by new technologies. Philippe Froissard from DG RTD discussed the necessity of large scale infrastructure and supported the approach presented by Professor Helmut Mischo, Director of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg research mine. Mischo attracted the audience's attention with a journey into digital mining and displayed a number of opportunities an in-situ underground research lab can and will offer. As part of the show, the lunch break was the hour of “Julius”, which is the latest mining robot produced in Saxony and which already “worked” underground. There is no doubt that the increasing depth, decreasing ore grades, complex mineralisation, restrictions due to environmental and social footprints, and the limitations due to available technology force researchers to provide mining the latest technologies.

Wolfgang Reimer reminded the audience about the paradigm change of EC policies in terms of defining raw materials as a societal challenge along with agriculture, climate, and energy, and the focus on industrial policies at regional level. In this regard, it is good news that mining and metallurgy also are attributed a source of smart specialisation in the regions, which gives way for new EU incentives. In this regard large scale infrastructures, such as the Freiberg based research mine, are of significant importance in fostering European self-supply and export. There is no doubt that in the future complex challenges in raw materials supply and consequently also in industrial and academic research require a consorted action. MIREU aims at networking mining regions by analysing background conditions (policy-making, finance, R&D infrastructure, smart specialisation), including a SWOT analysis, and Reimer sees substantial potential in many MIREU regions which are now under investigation.

He also pointed out that - despite all the bad news - Europe is a leader in many mining related businesses, such as mining equipment and supplier market. Nevertheless, setting up world class research infrastructures in distinct regions is one important step forward to claim more market share and vice versa to pave the way for more and also greater domestic mining entrepreneurship in Europe.

MIREU can assist this process, such as with the 2018 planned MIREU SWOT workshop on the mining regions R&D capacities as an integral part of the networking. Of course, this workshop will take place in Freiberg, Saxony!

Comments

Networking Regions

Thu, 18/10/2018 - 09:00

GKZ

Public / Private

Public