Stakeholder Workshop 19^th October 2016

The VERAM project, funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme, aims to provide an umbrella and coordination function for the raw materials related research and innovation activities across Europe, in order to produce a common long term vision and roadmap to 2050 for the most relevant raw materials, including metals, industrial minerals, aggregates and wood.

The first stakeholder workshop, discussed the vision for raw materials across several value chains, raw materials in the context of 2050, and roadmaps to achieve such a vision.

Milan Grohol (European Commission DG GROW) introduced the workshop by explaining the EU Raw Materials policy, the important role of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials, and the role of the VERAM project in the development of a common long term 2050 vision and roadmap.

First, Dirk Nelen (VITO) and Anna Leinonen (VTT) described the raw materials playing field, by animated views into the past, present and future, thereby explaining the role of Foresighting to develop scenario’s to put a raw materials Vision and Roadmap into context.

Henryk Karas (Past President of ETP SMR and ex KGHM Head of RTD) presented a vision for raw materials in 2050. ’Is the 4th Industrial Revolution in the European industry an opportunity for the raw materials sector?’, entailing a digitized Europe enabling sustainable, smart mining and recycling that feed and close cascaded material and product cycles in a Circular Economy.

Johan Elvnert (Forest-based Sector ETP), continued on the Vision for the biotic raw materials sector, building on the 2030 Vision developed with the stakeholders of the Forest-based Sector ETP, and including a preliminary analysis of the online VERAM stakeholder consultation that was recently initiated.

Following these presentations the workshop participants were asked by the moderation, Karl Vrancken (VITO, former KIC EIT RawMaterials COO), to discuss and develop answers to the following questions:

1. What societal challenges will have major impacts on raw materials needs in the EU ?
2. How could research and innovation contribute towards more sustainable raw material value chains by 2050?
3. What key aspects to add to the Raw Materials Vision 2050?

Johan Elvnert continued by explaining the process to create the Raw Materials roadmap towards 2030 and 2050, thereby inviting the participating stakeholders to take part in those next steps of the VERAM project.

The workshop was concluded by representatives from ERA-MIN (Elisabeth Köhler (CNRS) and Holger Grünewald (FZ-Jülich)) and WoodWisdomNet (Boris Vashev (FNR)), the European networks that foster trans-national co-operation for raw materials innovation in the minerals & metals and the forest-based value chains, respectively. They confirmed their support to and interaction with the VERAM project, to take into account the roadmap in the joint calls for proposals in the successor Cofund ERA-NETs of both networks.

Finally, Karl Vrancken closed the event by wrapping-up conclusions:

• VERAM is capable to bridge the gaps between sectors, especially the biotic and non-biotic raw material sectors.
• VERAM must take into account actors further down the value chain, that is the manufacturing & processing end-users. Stakeholder involvement must be intensified and diversified.
• Societal challenges are to be envisaged in building of a raw materials Vision and Roadmap, including a lower metabolism in a circular economy.
• Raw materials must be considered in a global context. Challenges inside and outside the EU may be different, however.
• It is relevant to proceed swiftly to weigh on EU policy in due time, and prepare a sustainable and competitive future for EU raw materials supply.
  
  

For more information, please contact VERAM at [email protected].

We value your contribution to the VERAM stakeholder consultation online survey and appreciate your support in spreading this online survey among your networks.

(source: http://veram2050.eu/veram-raw-materials-vision-and-roadmap-2050/)