Raw Matters Ambassadors at Schools
Duration: 01/2018 – 03/2024
RM@Schools focusses on an innovative programme to make science education and careers in the Raw Materials sector attractive for students aged between 10-19. An active learning is proposed to schools by Raw Materials Ambassadors (experts in some Raw Materials-related issues and trained teachers) by involving students in experiments with Raw Materials-related hands-on educational kits, in excursions in industries, and in science dissemination activities.
The students will be required and challenged to become Young Raw Materials Ambassadors themselves (science communicators) and create dissemination products (i.e. videos, cards, experiments, etc.) focused on issues related to Raw Materials: 1. Exploration, 2. Mining, 3. Metallurgy, 4. Recycling, 5. Substitution of critical raw materials and 6. Circular Economy.
An annual competition is organised by and hosted at Montanuniversität Leoben. Here schools from all over Austria may take part to present their projects, and their roles as young RM Ambassadors.
The school(s) with the best communication product will receive the opportunity to represent Austria at the annual European Conference in Bologna, Italy, together with delegates (students and teachers) from schools all over Europe.
All products realised by the pupils are accessible online and available to be shared with a wider public.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben), Aalto University, Alma Mater Studiorum – Universita di Bologna, ART-ER S. Cons. p a., Bay Zoltan Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research, Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, CEA, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), ERION, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Geological Survey of Slovenia (GeoZS), Geological Survey of Sweden – SGU, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan – KTH, Politecnico di Milano, Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen – RWTH Aachen, Stichting Wetsus European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology (Wetsus), Tallinn University of Technology, TU Clausthal, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid – UPM, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Università degli Studi di Milano – Bicocca, Université de Liège
Duration: 01/2020 – 12/2022
RM@Schools-ESEE focusses on an innovative programme to make science education and careers in RM attractive for young students, especially in the ESEE region. It is in line with RM@Schools 3.0, the flasgship programme for EIT Raw Materials and will share tools and activities with the latter. An active learning approach will be proposed to schools by RM Ambassadors (experts in some RM-related issues and trained teachers) by involving students in experiments with RM-related hands-on educational kits, in excursions to industries, and in science dissemination activities. The students will be asked to become Young RM Ambassadors themselves (science communicators) by creating dissemination products and/or collaborating with ewxperts during public events. All the produced materials and the best communication materials realised by students will be accessible online to be shared with a wider public.
New hands-on tools for supporting experimental activities at school will be set up and developed as well as successful educational tools realised in other projects will be used in the RM@Schools-ESEE network to share common benefits. Finally, some career orienting actions will be performed both at European and local level. International RM@Schools Summer Camps for the most motivated and interested students from all the partners’countries will be organised as well as local Career Orientation Days where RM@Schools students will interact directly with universities and companies to obtain information on job opportunities in the different sectors.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben, Lead), AGH University of Science and Technology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Foundation myclimate, Geological Survey of Sweden, National Technical University of Athens, Technical University of Kosice, Technische Universität Wien, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, University of Miskolc, University of Zagreb
SUstainable Management in EXtractive industries
Duration: 11/2020 – 10/2023
To foster more, but sustainable mineral production in the EU, SUMEX establishes a sustainability framework for the extractive industry in Europe. It does so by considering the Sustainable Development Goals, the European Green Deal, as well as EU Social License to Operate considerations and involves stakeholders from industry, government, academia and civil society backgrounds from all across the EU. This framework is then applied across the extractive value chain to analyse the mineral, as well as relevant economic, environmental and social policy frameworks of the EU, member states and selected regions along five focus areas – socio-economic and environmental impact assessments, land use planning, health and safety, reporting official statistics and permitting processes/policy integration-to find, or build, where needed, good practices or tools for an open access toolkit, which will be embedded in a broader Community of Practise (CoP) and which forms the basis for capacity building. This CoP will consider relevant stakeholder groups, with a focus on permitting authorities, across the EU, providing a digital platform and using a series of workshops and webinars. In SUMEX, the experience from other projects builds a powerful foundation for addressing the challenge of how best to implement sustainability considerations into the whole raw materials value chain.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (Department Mineral Resources Engineering, Lead), Oeko-Institut e.V. – Institut für angewandte Ökologie, Tallinna Tehnikaülikool, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Lapin Yliopisto, Wageningen University, Federation Europeenne des Geologues, Berufsverband Deutscher Geowissenschaftler e.V., Luonnon-, ympäristö- ja metsätieteilijöiden liitto Loimu ry, Eesti Geoloogia Selts, Ilustre Colegio Oficial de Geologos, Boliden Mineral AB, Union Europeenne des Producteurs de Granulats, Secretaria General de Industria y Minas,
Global Stakeholder Platform for Responsible Sourcing of Mineral Raw Materials
The project will set up an international platform on responsible sourcing (RS) that: 1. facilitates the development of a globally accepted definition of RS, 2. develops ideas for incentives facilitating responsible business conduct in the EU, supporting RS initiatives, 3. enables exchange of stakeholders for information exchange and promotion, 4. fosters the emergence of RS in international political fora, and 5. supports the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials.
To achieve the above mentioned objectives, the platform will connect experts and stakeholders by means of a physical element (“Platform Spaces”) and digital element (“Digital Ground”):
The Platform Spaces will allow practitioners (i) to gain a hands-on and peer-to-peer learning experience in workshops and site visits to exchange and learn from enabling factors, instruments and tools facilitating RS initiatives and business conduct for practitioners, and (ii) to engage with stakeholders at international conferences to further the concept of RS on the global political agenda.
Duration: 11/2019 – 10/2023
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (Chair of Mining Engineering and Mineral Economics), Oeko-institut E.v. – Institut fuer Angewandte Oekologie, World Resources Forum Association, Tallinna Tehnikaulikool, MH Intelligence (Uk) Ltd, Stichting Onderzoek Multinationaleondernemingen, Rcs Global Upstream Ltd, WWF Deutschland, EIT Raw Materials Gmbh, Lulea Tekniska Universitet, Ahk Business Center Sa
Dubrovnik International ESEE Mining School
Duration: 04/2017 – 03/2025
The main objective of the project is knowledge transfer, as well as strengthening innovation capacities in the mining, recycling and waste management sectors. This is a lifelong learning project that will be implemented in close partnership with industry stakeholders in all project consortium countries.
During the years of project implementation, the following key topics were / are analyzed:
• 2017: Zero waste management
• 2018: Deep intelligent mining
• 2019: Small mining sites
• 2020: Recycling
• 2021: Innovation in Exploration
• 2022: Innovation in Orebody Characterization
• 2023: Innovation in Extraction
• 2024: Innovation in Ore Processing
The knowledge and skills gained at DIM aim at increasing the employability of mining engineers. In the long run, the programme will lead to an increase in sustainable mining and processing activities, which will result in economic growth and the creation of employment in respective countries.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben), University of Zagreb, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dnipro University of Technology (NMU Ukraine), University of Miskolc, Technical University of Kosice, AGH University of Science and Technology, University of Belgrade – Faculty of Mining & Geology (UNIBG-RGF), University of Mining and Geology St. Ivan Rilski (Sofia)
Embedding digital thinking into the heart of the mining business
Duration: 09/2020 – 08/2023
Tapping the full potential of a “DIGITAL MINE” by embedding digital thinking into the heart of the mining business, by improving digital skills of mining personnel and by enhancing the cooperation along the entire digital mining value chain.
Europe urgently needs to reduce its import dependency in respect to a multitude of raw materials. In order to do so, Europe‘s mining industry must completely redesign the process of traditional mining via the adoption of pioneering innovations, accompanied by extensive use of data analytics and new types of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
Under the coordination of the Montanuniversität Leoben, the EU-funded illuMINEation project highlights significant aspects of digitalisation in underground mining activities with the core objective of improving the eficiency as well as health and safety of European mining operations and its personnel.
The project establishes a robust multi-level distributed IoT platform including cloud/edge computing and distributed data management, with data sourced from large sensor networks.
Advanced user interfaces, dashboards and AR/VR applications will allow for an optimised information flow. A rigorous cyber security approach ensures that all data is properly protected.
Via digitization of key mining aspects, such as the mineral deposit, rock mass stabilty, equipment condition monitoring, safety of mining personnel as well as the working and mining environment, the illuMINEation project addresses all of the three key factors that influence the sustainability and profitability of mining operations: Occupational Health & Safety performance (incl. health & safety aspects of the nearby community), environmental impacts, and efficient resource extraction.
The project consortium consists of 19 partners from six European countries (AT, SE, PL, DE, ES, FI).
Innovative digital sustainable aggregate systems
Duration: 06/221 – 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 innovative an 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.
Duration: 01/2019 – 12/2025
The project transfers tailor made successful programmes already implemented within EIT RawMaterials into the ESEE region, making these programmes available to those who have not yet become KIC partners or to individuals for the benefit of the innovativeness of the region. One programme is RACE, a learning journey for industrial R&D professionals organised by EIT RawMaterials and hosted by its industrial partners.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben), Aalto University, CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), Agenzia Nazionale per le Nuove Tecnologie, l’Energia e lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (ENEA), AGH University of Science and Technology, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), ERION, Geological Survey of Slovenia (GeoZS), Hub Innovazione Trentino – Fondazione (HIT), Kaunas University of Technology, KGHM Polska Miedz Spólka Akcyjna, LTU Business AB, MANTIS BUSINESS INNOVATION, National Technical University of Athens – NTUA, Occami B.V., Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH Aachen), Riga Technical University, Tallinn University of Technology, Technical University of Kosice, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF), Tecnalia Ventures, S.L., Sociedad Unipersonal, Trinity College Dublin, University of Banja Luka (UNiBL), University of Belgrade – Faculty of Mining & Geology (UNIBG-RGF), University of Mining and Geology St. Ivan Rilski, Sofia, University of Miskolc, University of Pannonia, University of Sarajevo, University of Tuzla, University of Zagreb – Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering (UNIZG-RGNF), University of Zenica, Metallurgical institute Kemal Kapetanović, ZAG (Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute)
EIT International Summer School “From dreging to deep-sea mining”
Duration: 01/2020 – 12/2022
Striving for independence from the import of Critical Raw Materials, the EU has made considerable investments towards reaching marine mineral resources. A European deep-sea mining industry would have a potential of creating a hundreds-billion market and thousands of new jobs. The current knowledge about deep-sea mining and particularly about the impact of mining activities on the marine environment is quite diversified and often contradictory. This is not conducive to the acceptance of seabed mining by society due to the absence of a clear and holistic picture of seabed mining and its possible environmental footprint.
The DSM-School project is aiming to become a platform for the elaboration and dissemination of knowledge in deep-sea mining to increase awareness of wider society on state-of-the-art mining technologies, recent investigations on the environmental impact of seabed mining activities, marine mineral resources, as well as economic, political, social and legislative aspects. The project will reach the wider society with communication tools such as a two-week summer school organized in Germany, the Netherlands and Norway, the Internet, and public events.
https://www.ntnu.edu/igp/dsm-summer-school
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (Chair of Mining Engineering and Mineral Economics), Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, IHC Mining B.V., Norwegian University of Science and Technology, STICHTING NEDERLANDSE WETENSCHAPPELIIJK ONDERZOEK INSTITUTEN, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Delft University of Technology
Development and implementation of EIT Raw Materials Master Programme(s) in Sustainable Materials
Duration: 01/2021 – 03/2025
The project IMAGINE involves a large consortium of universities with a solid educational research excellence based background in different aspects of materials processing and with an explicit interest in sustainability aspects of materials. The consortium proposes a ‘fast track’ pilot action involving the integration of 4 existing Master programs into an EIT label compatible pilot Master program on which the partners can build a joint final Master program. The SUMA master programmes started in September 2016 and developed into more study tracks since then. The Master programs will focus on materials processing and recycling, circular (eco)design, life cycle engineering and circular economy design, materials substitution, manufacturing, entrepreneurship and innovation and will mandatorily involve studies in two different institutions and am internship in a company.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy), AGH University of Science and Technology, Atlantic Copper S.L.U., Institut polytechnique de Grenoble (Grenoble Institute of Technology, INP), Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven (KU Leuven), UMICORE NV, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, UPM (Technical University of Madrid), Università degli Studi di Milano – Bicocca (University of Milano- Bicocca), Università degli Studi di Trento
Open ESEE – East & South-East Europe
Duration: 04/2018 – 03/2022
The aim of OpESEE (Open ESEE – East & South-East Europe) master’s degree program is to create highly qualified mechanical and process engineers from the ESEE region with a specialization in maintenance for raw materials services for the ESEE region. To avoid brain-drain and to improve the economic development of their home region it is very important that students stay and work in their home countries after having completed their high-quality education. The training focus not only on the transfer of technical know-how but also in the knowledge transfer of entrepreneurship and innovation. By developing real innovative business models students shall be encouraged to found their own start-up business. The aim is to use the full potential of creative ideas and inventions from the ESEE region and to make innovations happen where they have their origin.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben), Liebherr-International AG, Dnipro University of Technology, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Ovidius University of Constanta, Technical University of Kosice, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Trinity College Dublin, University of Miskolc, University of Sarajevo
Rare earth reduction in high performance permanent magnet electric machines
Duration: 1/2020 – 12/2022
The highest torque densities for motors in EV vehicles are obtained with Neodymium Nd magnet. But Nb is considered to be a critical material for Europe due to two reason.
• The Forecast of the demand predicts that it will exceed the production in the following years
• The production is out of Europe
This is why it is extremely interesting to look for alternatives to these magnets based on material which are not as critical as Nd. In this context, implementation of Cerium (Ce) substituted alloys could alleviate the need for Nd raw material up to 6-10 %. However, Ce-based magnets are known to be less performant than Nd magnets, therefore, it becomes mandatory to redesign electrical machine in order to optimize the implementation of these new magnets.
In LowReeMotors projects, two different electrical machines will be designed manufactured and tested based on Ce magnets that will substitute an existing equivalent Nd based motors.
The design will be developed focusing for mass production. In that way, the aim of the project is to develop two new motor products based on that topology.
Upscaling of two step dust recycling process for EAF dust
Duration: 01/2020 – 12/2021
Zinc is mainly used for the galvanization of steel products to protect them against corrosion. After the lifetime of these products (e.g. car bodies or construction elements) they return to the steel mill as scrap, if recycled. The Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) is the common recycling facility for this purpose and uses up to 100% scrap. Within this process, roughly 20 kg of zinc containing dust is produced per ton of steel, ending up in 1.3 mio tons of so called EAF dust per year in Europe. At present, only about half of this amount is treated in huge centralized facilities, recovering only zinc.
The novel ‘2sDR’ (two-step dust recycling) process represents the first zero-waste technology for zinc recycling and offers a flexible, environmental friendly and effective solution for steel mills to operate their own recycling process avoiding transport or disposal costs.
The process consists of two steps, using two different metallurgical technologies: The material is clinkered in a short rotary kiln to remove harmful elements and then reduced in an Electric Arc Furnace. Zinc is extracted via the off gas as Oxide and can be sold, iron occurs in form of an alloy that is reused in iron and steel industry. The residual slag can be used for construction purposes.
During the project duration, this process will be up scaled to semi-industrial size, technological and financial viability will be proven. Based on the outcome of this project, the technology is brought to market and the first recycling plant using the proposed ‘2sDR’technology shall be erected in Austria.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy, Partner: Lead), ARP GmbH, Politecnico di Milano, Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH, Marienhütte GmbH, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute
Mixed Reality Handbooks for Mining Education
Duration: 01/2019 – 12/2021
MiReBooks produces a series of Virtual & Augmented Reality based interactive mining handbooks as a new digital standard for higher mining education across Europe.
In the project “MiReBooks” a series of virtual and augmented reality-based (Mixed Reality, MR) interactive mining handbooks will be produced as a new digital standard for higher mining education throughout Europe. Many current challenges in mining education will be confronted in an innovative way, by combining classical paper-based teaching materials with MR materials and their transformation into pedagogically and didactically coherent MR handbooks for integrative classroom use. The approach will be used in the future also in other disciplines. With MiReBooks the way of teaching will change as instructors will be able to engage their students in a more effective way and offer them an enriched content repertoire as well as an increased comprehension opportunity.
The array of possible industrial mine environment examples that students can be immersed into becomes endless and thus the industry will receive graduates that are familiarized in-depth with a holistic view on the industrial context. Students will enter the job market skilled as digital natives and highly influence the way the industry will work and develop in this way in the future. Mixed Reality is certainly a most promising way to enable users to make the most of their learning experience and thus leverage the improvement of operational efficiencies and innovation.
Technically, the MiReBooks-assisted lectures will include Smartphones with a special App that allows the students to trigger additional information (3D images, videos) from augmented illustrations within the MiReBooks textbooks. In addition, with virtual reality goggles they will be able to immerse themselves into a virtual mining environment/3D-filmed sequence of a real mine process.
Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben, Lead), Epiroc Rock Drills, KGHM, LTU Business, Luleå University of Technology, LKAB, RWTH Aachen, Tallinn University of Technology, Technische Universität Graz, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, VTT – Technical Research Centre of Finland, Università degli Studi di Trento
Raw Materials Students Internships
Duration: 07/2019 – 12/2022
RAISE gives access to secondary school students at internships within research laboratories/companies operating in the Raw Materials sector. RAISE tackles a carrier guidance demand originated within the schools, making youngsters aware of the career opportunities in the field, offering them tools allowing an informed university studies engagement into Raw Materials related disciplines. Motivated pupils access two/three week internships focused on exploration, circular economy, substitution of critical raw materials and recycling.
This project is offering pupils a first but immersive direct contact with the raw materials sector, giving them a flavor of its real world in order to facilitate their informed and committed engagement into studies of raw materials related disciplines.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben), Alma Mater Studiorum – Universita di Bologna, Bay Zoltan Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), ERION, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), TREEE Srl, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM), Università degli Studi di Milano – Bicocca
Revitalising Post-Mining Regions: Problems and Potential in RIS Europe
Mining by its very nature disturbs the land and has a significant influence on what the post-mining landscape and land use becomes. Traditional reclamation practices have been, in the case of formally rehabilitated sites, to return the land to as much of an original condition as possible. In cases of abandoned or mine sites that received minimal or no formal rehabilitation efforts, this becomes more problematic. The locally affected community has the closest attachment to these landscapes and it is their best interest to be part of the decision-making process; one that considers the social, economic and biophysical implications of any closure and rehabilitation plan. For example, the local community may want to retain some of the man-made aspects of the mine site (e.g. pits or waste dumps) for their aesthetic or recreational value and to promote tourism as secondary land use. The key is the active participation and the extension of the Social Licence to Operate through mine closure and site rehabilitation and for them to play an active role in the ultimate post-mining landscape and land use.
Project website: https://www.taltech.ee/en/post-mining-regions
01/2020 – 12/2021
EIT RawMaterials – RM Academy
Montanuniversität Leoben (Partner), AGH University of Science and Technology, AMPHOS21 Consulting SL, ECHMES Ltd., KGHM, National Technical University of Athens, Tallinn University of Technology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
RIC Leoben – Susanne Feiel
Total: € 1.025.770
Montanuniversität Leoben: € 133.006
Raw Materials Students Internships in East South-East Europe
Duration: 07/2018 – 12/2021
RAISESEE “Raw Materials Students Internships in East South-East Europe” project is the extension of RAISE project with special focus on countries in East and South-East Europe. The goal is to develop hands-on internships in working environments for secondary schools students. The mix of basic training in lab/industry safety rules, Raw Material related themes and of hands-on stages in “real world” research institutes, universities and industries will help students toward an informed choice of their university studies, allowing pupils to match their expectations and talents with the opportunities offered by the stakeholders in different Raw Materials sectors. A specific task of RAISESEE will also be the inclusion of several partners from ESEE area as active actors in training activities.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben), Dnipro University of Technology (NMU Ukraine), Association of Technology Engineers of Republic of Srpska, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, HYdrogen for Development of Environmental Projects, Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, BAS (IOCCP BAS), National Institute of Materials Physics Bucharest, Politecnico di Milano, Tallinn University of Technology, University of Banja Luka, University of Oulu
ESEE Scholarships
Duration: 01/2020 – 12/2021
TrainESEE v.2 is a capacity building project focused at six Universities of East and South Eastern Europe. Targeted universities lack modern teaching methodology, and areas of training that need to be further developed include project development and management, innovative and entrepreneurial skills and science to business competences. These are some of the main reasons for lower performing in science and teaching and lower ranking of the Universities at the World University Rankings. Final consequences are that graduates from those Universities have lower innovation and entrepreneurial skills, and have weaker impact and starting positions in the industry compared to the European average.
The 2-year project is focused on the academic staff of these universities. Four training modules will be developed: Teaching methodology; Project preparation and management; Innovation and entrepreneurial and Science to Business. Each participating RIS university will collaborate in preparation of the acceleration programmes. These programmes are planned to last continuously for minimum of 3 years after the implementation, increasing the percentage of the trained academic staff to >50% at each of the “Training” universities.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben), Aalto University, AGH University of Science and Technology, Dnipro University of Technology, Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation, KGHM Cuprum Ltd. Research & Development Centre, National Technical University of Athens, Technical University of Kosice, Technische Universität Wien, University of Mining and Geology St. Ivan Rilski, University of Miskolc, University of Zagreb
Learning the uses of minerals through non-conventional and digital tools
Duration: 01/2020 – 12/2021
The 3D BRIEFCASE Project seeks to bring mineral raw materials and mining closer to society. Its ultimate goal is that citizens from an early age and students, get to know and understand from where the mineral products they use in daily life come from, what minerals can be found in their environment, and how our daily purchasing decisions affect the social environment of the people who live in countries with mineral resources exploitation.
During the first part of the project, BRIEFCASEs are developed covering sensitive aspects of the mining activities and focusing on primary school pupils to students (6-14 years old) and their teachers, including virtual material (web) compiling all these materials to offer an interactive tool that can be self-used by pupils.
The second part of the project, 3D BRIEFCASE, proposes to improve the virtual tool into an augmented reality (AR) application to attract students up to 18 years old and to adapt the tool for a 3D-application for permanent use in science museums and educational centres, and for private use of the general public.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben), CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), Coventry University, European Association of Mining Industries, Metal Ores & Industrial Minerals (EUROMINES), Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation, Gomez Pardo Foundation, Magnesitas Navarras S.A., Monolithos Ltd, Technical University of Kosice, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Università degli Studi di Milano – Bicocca, ZAG (Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute)
Teaching raw materials to primary schools with gamification
Duration: 01/2020 – 12/2021
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.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben), 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