Skills and education
The raw materials industries are facing increasing skills shortage, mostly due to limited public awareness of the importance of raw materials for European society and the economy. This challenge needs to be addressed through communication and partnerships between civic society, public authorities, universities, research organisations, and industry. The Commission supports the development of new high skills on engineering, material science, geology or earth observation.
EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) on Raw materials
- The European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT) has been created to enhance Europe’s ability to innovate by integrating education and entrepreneurship with research and innovation at the EU level. The main operational arm of the EIT is its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). Through them, the EIT develops and tests a new model of how innovation is approached, managed, financed, and delivered in Europe. The KICs offer an opportunity for top innovation players to be part of a highly collaborative community to achieve a pan-European impact.
- Following the adoption of the EIT's Strategic Innovation Agenda (SIA) and the EIT’s amended Regulation by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, the Selection Criteria for the KIC have been published on 12 December 2013. The EIT announced the pan-European consortium as RawMatTERS the winner of the 2014 Call for a Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC) in the area of Raw Materials (430 kB).
Raw Materials University Day
Raw Materials University Day is a communication campaign originally launched by the European Commission as part of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on raw materials.
Raw Materials University Days are now hosted and funded by the EIT RawMaterials KIC under the umbrella of the RawMaterials Academy.
The events show practical examples of career opportunities in raw materials exploration, extraction, processing, and recycling and substitution.
The aims of the initiative are to:
- encourage young people to study a raw materials-related discipline, therefore bringing much-needed human capital into the sector
- attract young people to career opportunities in the raw materials sector
- raise awareness of the huge potential of European raw materials
- promote skills in raw materials
- boost sectorial competitiveness and sustainable growth
In 2017, 5 Raw Materials University Days took place at EIT RawMaterials partner universities:
- Raw Materials University Day Madrid - 16 November 2017
- Raw Materials University Day Lund – 13 October 2017
- Raw Materials University Day Leuven – 1 October 2017
- Raw Materials University Day Wroclaw – 25 September 2017
- Raw Materials University Day Tallinn – 19 September 2017
Previously, the Commission also organised the following events:
- Raw Materials University Day Lisbon - 13 April 2016
- Raw Materials University Day Rovaniemi - 2-3 November 2015
- Raw Materials University Day Košice - 13 October 2015
- Raw Materials University Day Milan – 17 October 2014
- Raw Materials University Day Athens – 19 June 2014
- Raw Materials University Day Madrid – 9 June 2014
- Raw Materials University Day Darmstadt - 12 May 2014
- Raw Materials University Day Rome – 6 December 2013
The Erasmus+ programme
Erasmus+ including Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EMJMDs), Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorates (EMJDs), Erasmus Mundus Partnerships (Action 2), Intra-ACP Partnerships, and Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) provides grants for a wide range of activities in education, training, youth, and sport. The programme gives students, trainees, staff, and volunteers an opportunity to spend a period abroad to increase their skills and employability. It supports organisations to work in transnational partnership and to share innovative practices in education, training, and youth.
Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EMJMDs) in the raw materials sector that will be offering EU-funded scholarships for courses taking place in the academic year 2015-2016
Erasmus Mundus Funded Scholarships
- European Mining, Minerals and Environmental Program (EMMEP)
- Joint European Master Programme Advanced Materials Science and Engineering (AMASE)
- EMERALD – Master course in georesources engineering
- International Master Programme in Functionalized Advanced Materials & Engineering (FAME)
- Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies
- MSc Course in Geo-information Science and Earth Observation for Environmental Modelling and Management (GEM)
- Master in Materials Science Exploring Large Scale Facilities (MaMaSELF)
- Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion (MESC)
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
The objective of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) is to support the career development and training of researchers – with a focus on innovation skills – in all scientific disciplines through worldwide and cross-sector mobility.
- Research networks (ITN): support for Innovative Training Networks that develop new researchers;
- Call for proposals – deadline: 13/01/2015;
- Individual fellowships (IF): support for experienced researchers undertaking mobility between countries, optionally to the non-academic sector;
- Research and Innovation Staff Exchanges (RISE) for international and inter-sectorial cooperation;
- Co-funding: regional, national, and international programmes that finance fellowships involving mobility between countries;
- The European Researchers' Night (NIGHT): public events involving researchers which take place every year across Europe on the fourth Friday of September.
Examples of actions funded by MSCA in raw materials
- REFINE - REnewable FunctIoNal matErial – Training material scientists for a sustainable polymer industry;
- MINEPEP - Establishing of a novel technology platform for bio-based mineral processing: Development of peptides as agents for the separation of rare earth minerals via bio-flotation;
- NANOTESULPHIDE - Spark Plasma Sintering Nanostructured Thermoelectric Sulphides;
- SCCOMPLEXITY - Understanding and Defining Supply Chain Complexity: A Mixed Method Approach for Basic and Applied Research;
- AUTOUNIMO - Automotive Production Engineering Unified Perspective based on Data Mining Methods and Virtual Factory Model;
- NANOPYME - Nanocrystalline Permanent Magnets Based on Hybrid Metal-Ferrites;
- CIPRIS - Coherent Information Processing in Rare-earth Ion doped Solids.
International Skills, Education, and Knowledge
The EIP on Raw materials aims to exchange skills and expertise between the EU and partner countries:
- Cooperation with the leading educational and research institutions in non-EU countries (the US, Canada, Chile, South Africa, Japan, Australia, etc.) to improve the availability of the workforce and skills in mineral resource related sectors;
- Establishment of the African Mineral Development Centre (AMDC) or other similar bodies;
- Dialogue on skills and knowledge with Latin American countries involved in the mining sector.