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Dump truck at a copper mine in Latin America
Industrial belt conveyor. Earth moving equipment.
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DIM ESEE – Innovation in Mineral Extraction Workshop

Der DIM ESEE 2023 Workshop fand vom 18. bis 20. Oktober 2023 erneut in Dubrovnik/Kroatien statt.

Wir genossen hochkarätige Vorträge von zahlreichen Experten im Bereich der Rohstoffe, tolles Networking und innovative Ideen für die Zukunft des Bergbaus.
Das wissenschaftliche Programm wurde in diesem Jahr vom Team des RIC Leoben organisiert und umfasste Themen rund um Digitalisierung und Datenverarbeitung, unter- und übertägige Rohstoffgewinnung sowie Robotik im Bergbau. Zusätzlich gaben Branchenexperten von Austin Powder, Dok-Ing, Epiroc und Sandvik spannende Einblicke in die Zukunft der Rohstoffgewinnung.
Mehr Informationen: https://dim-esee.eu/

PROMISE – Master program „Sustainable Mineral Processing“

PROMISE ist ein internationaler 24-monatiger Joint Master’s Studiengang in Sustainable Mineral and Metal Processing Engineering, der auf eine nachhaltige Zukunft des Aufbereitungssektors abzielt. Bis zu 84 Erasmus-Mundus-Stipendien können vergeben werden, aufgeteilt auf vier Jahrgänge.

Bewerbungen für den dritten Jahrgang sind noch bis zum 31. Dezember 2023 möglich.

Das Programm eignet sich ideal für Bachelorabsolventen der Fachrichtungen Mineralaufbereitung, Bergbau, Metallurgie und Chemieingenieurwesen sowie anderer eng verwandter Studiengänge.
Das Programm bietet ein Vollstipendium in Höhe von 1400 EUR pro Monat und deckt zusätzlich alle Studiengebühren an den vier Partneruniversitäten ab: Universität Oulu (Finnland), Montanuniversität Leoben (Österreich), Universität Zagreb (Kroatien) und Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (Chile).

Mehr Information auf: https://www.master-promise.eu/

Jetzt bewerben: https://www.master-promise.eu/how-to-apply/

Projekt PRO-SLO in Angriff genommen

Anfang November begrüßte das RIC-Team unsere Projektpartner zum offiziellen Start des PRO-SLO-PhD-Projekts.
Auch konnten wir während des EIT RawMaterials Expert Forum on Responsible Sourcing in Prag am 7. und 8. Dezember 2023 einen tiefen Einblick in die Ambition des Projekts gegeben, zukünftige Führungskräfte auszubilden, um die komplexen Themen der Social Licence to Operate (#SLO) zu meistern!

Koordiniert vom RIC Leoben Education Team wird eine Allianz von Experten zum Thema SLO aus Forschung, Universitäten und Industrie eine maßgeschneiderte Doktorandenschule konzipieren und durchführen, die sich an den Herausforderungen der Industrie orientiert und durch innovative Lehr-/Lernmethoden unterstützt wird.
Wir freuen uns auf intensive Zusammenarbeit in den kommenden drei Jahren und darüber hinaus!

Neues ERASMUS+Projekt „EdUp“

Das RIC freut sich, das von der TU Bergakademie Freiberg koordinierte ERASMUS+-Projekt „EdUp“ zu unterstützen, das darauf abzielt, ukrainischen Hochschulen in der gegenwärtig schwierigen Zeit digitale Kursinhalte und Curriculumsverbesserungen zu ermöglichen.
Mit EdUp werden wir die bereits bestehenden Unterstützungsaktivitäten ausbauen, die es ukrainischen Hochschulen ermöglichen, ihre Studienprogramme durch die Aufnahme digitaler Kurse von Partnern auf dem neuesten Stand zu halten und diese in ihre Lehre zu integrieren. Das Projekt wird eine digitale Plattform mit neuen Kursen anbieten, die bereits ermittelte Bedürfnisse abdecken, und die Möglichkeiten für UA-Partner zur Erstellung digitaler Kurse erweitern. Im Rahmen dieses Projekts wird das RIC / die Montanuniversität Leoben in den nächsten zwei Jahren eine Auswahl an Bildungskursen anbieten.

Project “PRO-SLO” genehmigt

Wir sind begeistert, dass EIT RawMaterials unseren Projektvorschlag „PRO-SLO“ zur Förderung ausgewählt hat! Das Ziel des Winterschulprojekts „PRO-SLO – building PROfessional SLO Competence“ ist es, die Kluft zwischen den Rohstoffbetrieben und dem wirtschaftlichen, sozialen und ethischen Diskurs zu überbrücken und die Rohstoffindustrie mit zukünftigen Führungskräften auszustatten, die kompetent und selbstbewusst sind, um die komplexen Prozesse zur Erlangung und Aufrechterhaltung einer Social Licence to Operate (SLO) für ihre Rohstoffprojekte zu meistern. Wir sind sehr stolz darauf, ein hoch motiviertes Expertenkonsortium zu koordinieren und freuen uns auf die Zusammenarbeit in den kommenden drei Jahren und darüber hinaus!

DIM ESEE – Innovation in Mineral Extraction Summer School

18. bis 20. Oktober 2023 in Dubrovnik/Kroatien

Möchten Sie die neuesten Trends im mechanischen Hartgesteinsabbau kennenlernen?

Dann kommen Sie mit uns im Oktober nach Dubrovnik! Dem Team des RIC gelang es, Experten von SANDVIK und EPIROC einzuladen, die ihre neueste Technologie präsentieren werden!

Außerdem werden Maschinen für den Einsatz in extrem niedriger Abbauhöhe von DOK-ING, innovative Spreng-Verfahren, sowie Einblicke in Forschungsprojekte rund um den Bergbau mit Robotern und Mikroorganismen vorgestellt.

Alle Informationen und die Möglichkeit zur Anmeldung finden Sie hier: https://dim-esee.eu/

RM@Schools

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

RM@Schools ESEE

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

SUMEX

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,

RE-SOURCING

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

DimESEE

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.

DIM ESEE Website

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)

IlluMINEation

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).

DigiEcoQuarry

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.

RIS Education & Entrepreneurship

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)

DSM-School

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

IMAGINE 3 – SUMA

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

OpESEE – ENTER

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

LowREEMotors

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.

2sDR

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

MiReBooks

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

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