The Resources Innovation Center Leoben at Montanuniversität Leoben is home to the university’s international partnerships in the areas of sustainable science, education and industrialization. Our vision is to make a climate friendly, sustainable future in the raw materials sector.
After much fine-tuning, the first edition of MiReBooks in printed form has been printed and is now available. These books will take mining education to a higher level by incorporating VR and AR elements into teaching!
Europe needs more experts to master the complex issues of a Social License to Operate (#SLO) as currently many raw materials projects are severely delayed due to severe opposition from communities.
Coordinated by the RIC Leoben Education team, an alliance of experts on the topic of SLO from research, universities and industry will design and deliver a tailored PhD school, based around challenges provided by the industry, facilitated by innovative teaching/learning methods.
The second edition of the PhD school is underway, split into three phases:
1. Online Phase (Virtual Week: 9 to 13 February 2026)
2. Case Study Phase (23 February to 27 March 2026)
3. Onsite School at Hellas Gold S.A. (19 to 24 June 2026, Chalkidiki, Greece)
Further details under: https://www.proslo.eu/
Anna Meyer, BA BA MA, is a Research and Project Manager at the RIC Leoben. Her activities include networking, project applications and developments within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. Anna also serves as sustainability coordinator of Montanuniversität Leoben and represents the Montanuniversität Leoben in the Alliance of Sustainable Universities in Austria and the Climate Change Center Austria.
Innovative Digital Sustainable Aggregates System
Duration: 06/2021 – 05/2025
The European aggregates extractive industry is, by far, the biggest non-energy extractive industries in the EU (Eurostat 2017): 26000 estimated extraction sites: 81,26% of the total EU mining and quarrying sites, 3000 million ton extracted and supplied to the EU internal market, ~ 220000 persons directly employed. Hence the EU faces the need of sustainable and competitive future for European Raw Materials specially in the construction sector due to a greater anticipated demand for products linked to human well-being, health, safety and sustainability. DIGIECOQUARRY will exploit the aggregates industry´s great potential through a coordinated approach towards construction materials management with the final goal of reducing EU external supply dependency as well as leading an efficient use of resources.
DIGIECOQUARRY will develop systems, technology and processes for integrated digitisation and automation real-time process control, to be piloted in 5 EU quarries with the target of improving health and safety conditions for workers. The pilot campaigns will lead to improved efficiency of processes maximizing quarry resources and sustainable management of water, energy emissions, minimised environmental impact and expanding the EU aggregates and construction business. Coupling Artificial Intelligence approaches with cyber-physical systems and the Internet of Things concept, make Industry 4.0 approach possible and the smart sustainable extractive site a reality. All phases of the process, from extraction to the end user are covered by DIGIECOQUARRY, ensuring communication with policy makers, social acceptance activities and international cooperation with Colombia and South Africa to share knowledge and best practices. The development of an innovative Intelligent Quarrying System (IQS) will increase the sustainable supply of minerals for the construction sector as well as enabling the sustainable extraction of EU´s mineral resources in existing and new quarries.
Hydrogen is inevitably linked to carbon as a valuable material in to the research activities in the field of methane pyrolysis. About 120 scientists from 23 different organizational units of the Montanuniversität Leoben are currently working on topics within the Strategic Core Research Area (SCoRe A+ Hydrogen and Carbon). Networking of individual scientists from different disciplines creates fruitful collaborations. The recent H2C – Symposium gathered a wide audience to learn from 20 PhD candidates working on sustainable energy projects.
More info here.
