The Expert Forum is Europe’s leading raw materials innovation and education exchange that connects stakeholders and actors from various parts of different raw materials value chains. This highly collaborative environment culminates in producing radically new ways of addressing raw materials sustainability across the supply chains.
Over three days, technical experts from industry and academia will gather to debate the technological advancements and business opportunities to explore industry needs in terms of innovation and education, identify partner interests, and promote matchmaking and consortia formation for project proposal submission.
Register here: https://eitrawmaterials.eu/expert-forum/
On 20 April 2022, Federal Minister Elisabeth Köstinger visited the research facilities of the Montanuniversität Leoben that are working on pyrolysis for the production of hydrogen. These activities are located in the “Resources Innovation Center” (RIC Leoben), to which Minister Köstinger promised funding of three million Euros, divided between the years 2022 – 2028. The focal points of the funding agreement are activities on the following areas:
The Resources Innovation Center Leoben will work on research topics (dissertations) on these themes, involving research funding from Austrian, European and global funding programmes (FFG, Horizon Europe, EIT RawMaterials). “Crisis security requires raw materials. Not all raw materials are infinitely available everywhere, which is why the Resources Innovation Center (RIC) at the Montanuniversität Leoben is an important institution that we are supporting in its work with three million Euros. Research is already being carried out here to find scientific answers to future challenges in the form of innovations,” said Elisabeth Köstinger.
A guideline for engineers about earth limitations – 2021-2022
In 2009, former director of the Stockholm Resilience Center Johan Rockström led a group of 28 internationally renowned scientists to identify the nine processes that regulate the stability and resilience of the Earth system. The scientists proposed 9 quantitative planetary boundaries:
Crossing these boundaries increases the risk of generating large-scale abrupt or irreversible environmental changes. Since then the planetary boundaries framework has generated enormous interest within science, policy, and practice. Over the course of 10 lectures, international experts will introduce the audience to the concept of the 9 planetary boundaries within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come.
Marinella Passarella, PhD is the Climate Portfolio Manager and Researcher at RIC Leoben. She has joined the team as coordinator for the climate agendas and the EIT Climate-KIC participation of Montanuniversitaet Leoben. This consists of the expansion and management of the climate change projects portfolio, for contributing to tackle climate change through innovation and education at both national and international level. She works at project proposals preparation, submission and as project manager for European projects (e.g. Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, ERA-NET, EIT-Climate KIC). The aim of the climate actions coordinated by Marinella is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dealing with climate change effects mainly in relation to raw material circularity but also plastics, waste and energy. She obtained an International PhD in Innovation Science and Technology devoted to Systems and Methods for Environmental Protection at the University of Cagliari (Italy) in collaboration with the University of Auckland (New Zealand). She worked as a member of the steering group of the no-profit organization INORE (International Network on Offshore Renewable Energy) managing projects, fundraising, organizing international networking events and conferences for two years. She is also specialized in renewable energy obtaining a Master of Science in Marine Renewable Energy at Plymouth University (UK), where she gained experience on energy resources, stakeholders’ engagement and sustainability.
Teaching raw materials to primary schools with gamification
As increasing world demand for raw materials is facing stronger public concerns on health and environmental issues there arises the need for a better targeted dissemination of knowledge and information, thus enforcing public awareness of the problem. To work towards public awareness, we must start early by increasing knowledge and interest about raw materials and geology – already in primary school. By targeting primary schools we also reach the public as a whole – through children, their parents and their teachers.
BetterGeoEdu 2.0 is a project that targets primary schools to work with wider society learning for raw materials. BetterGeoEdu will develop educational material about raw materials using BetterGeo – a modification of the immensely popular game Minecraft. Cooperation with teachers, museums, geoparks, and activity centres will result in train-the-trainer programmes as well as freely available exercises and instructions for teachers. BetterGeoEdu brings a unique and innovative way of teaching raw materials to primary schools using an already well-known and loved game.
01/2020 – 12/2021
EIT RawMaterials – RM Academy
Montanuniversität Leoben (Partner), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Geological Survey of Slovenia, Geological Survey of Sweden, Tallinn University of Technology, Trinity College Dublin, Technical University of Madrid, Université de Liège
RIC Leoben – Mariaelena Murphy
Total: € 569.273
Montanuniversität Leoben: € 69.915
