As part of Regional Center’s (RC) ESEE (East & South East Europe) Strategy Anna Meyer visited the EIT Cross KIC RIS Dialogue Conference in Novi Sad. The event provided the possibility to gather information on all the KICs (Knowledge und Innovation Communities des EIT RawMaterials). Due to the cooperation of EIT RawMaterials, EIT Health, EIT Climate KIC, EIT Digital, EIT InnoEnergy and EIT Food a valuable event was designed that opened EIT’s doors to Serbia.
The EIT Cross KIC RIS Dialogue Conference in Novi Sad can be seen as a direct outcome of the 7th ESEE Dialogue Conference in Belgrad, Serbia on the 16.11.2017 organized by the RC Leoben. On the 7th ESEE DC connections between the provincial secretariat of economy and tourism Vojvodina and EIT RawMaterial staff were established and based on those the foundation was laid to set up an EIT Cross KIC RIS Dialogue Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia on the 27.09.2018. This follow up event further shows a gradual inclusion of Serbia to the EIT RawMaterials as well as the EIT in general and is part of a successful ESEE Strategy of the RC Leoben.
Mr. Lee and Ms. Sun, two delegates from the Economic Development Board Singapore visited Montanuniversitaet Leoben on the 21st September 2018. The aim of the meeting was to establish initial contact and learn about each other’s research and development interests. Vice rector Moser invited representatives of the universities chairs and associated competence centers into the meeting room of the rectorate to meet the EDB delegation. A range of presentations, tailored at the interests of EDB, showed the competencies at Montanuniversitaet Leoben. The following universities chairs and associated competence centers presented themselves and their research activities.
Due to mutual interest and some possibilities to cooperate with each other this initial contact meeting proved successful.
Within the framework of the conference, Montanuniversitaet RIC Leoben organized half a day focusing on “Raw Materials” made in Europe for Europe. These comprised the global consumption of resources of all categories with a future outlook on this development, the extractive industries and their societal acceptance, Europe’s mineral potential, influences of non-European markets on EU raw material’s production, knowledge management on European raw materials supply chains, the renewability of metal resources as well as policy instruments and their influence on innovation in the raw materials sector.
The European raw materials initiative, EUMICON, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism of the Republic of Austria organized the EUMICON 2018 Conference in Vienna from September 26th to 28th, within the scope of the Austrian EU Council Presidency. An international stakeholder group concerned with sustainable Raw Materials supply for society came together and discussed highly relevant topics revolving around the technological revolution which will bring about a whole new range of products and innovative services in the coming decades: Automated cars, SMART technology, Internet of Things. Knowledge exchange revolved around how such developments will have a significant impact on the added value of the extractive industry and its downstream branches as well as the political conditions which will act as a significant driver – or indeed a brakeman. Access to raw materials, circular economy or robust and fair trade with other regions of the world – all of these factors that will shape the future of the European extractive industry and its value added, were up for discussion in this international expert platform.
Was bietet die Teilnahme an EU Projekten?
Netzwerk: Europa-weites Forschungs- und Ausbildungs-Netzwerk
• Zugang zu Forschungs- und Test-Einrichtungen
• Zugang zu Investoren / Industriepartnern
• Zugang zu Innovationspartnern: neue Materialien, Technologie, Prozesstechnik
• Zugang zu Tools und Information: Datenbanken, Ausbildung, Weiterbildung
• Experten: Forscher, Ingenieure
Das Regional Center Leoben des EIT Raw Materials (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) koordiniert und unterstützt Sie dabei als Teil der Montanuniversität Leoben.
Highlights der Agenda:•
• Kurze Einführung EIT Raw Materials – Netzwerk, Strategie und Ziele
• Projekteinblicke in zwei laufende Projekte
• Aus- / Weiterbildungsprojekt
• Industrieprojekt (Upscaling)
•Brainstorming: „Make raw materials a major strength in Europe” – Wie können wir zur dieser Vision beitragen?
•Welche Möglichkeiten ergeben sich für Ihre Forschung/Ihr Unternehmen?
18.10.2018
Bei Fragen melden Sie sich bei Anna Meyer oder Hanno Bertignoll.
Zur besseren Planung bitten wir Sie ihre Teilnahme an Anna Meyer anna.meyer@unileoben.ac.at bekannt zu geben.
Join the 24-hour hackathon, where you‘ll collaborate with other participants to find
innovative climate solutions. Become part of a growing movement of empowered
communities and cities!
19 October from 2:30 pm
Download the flyer here
More information and registration here
RM@Schools Austrian Final on 18th of October 2018 at Montanuniversitaet Loeben
We are happy to announce the RM@Schools Austrian Final at Montanuniversitaet Loeben.
Schools from all parts of Austria will present their ideas on RawMaterials. The aim is to promote all topics related to RawMaterials and to make the students RawMaterials Ambassadors!
Further information can be found on the project website
Join us at the CBGA Conference on Geoscience 10th-13th September 2018 in Salzburg!
Welcome to CBGA 2018 – the conference of the Carpathian-Balkan Geological Association to be held all four years. CBGA 2018 is aimed bring together geoscientists from southeastern Europe with geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth sciences. CBGA 2018 aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early career researchers, can present and discuss their recent research work and ideas with experts in all fields of geosciences. CBGA 2018 is to be held 10–13 September 2018 at the Paris-Lodron-University of Salzburg, Austria.
We are looking forward to see you in Salzburg in late summer 2018!
For further information and registration please click here.
RIC Leoben supports the first CirCOOL Summer School at Montanuniversität Leoben
CirCOOL, the new innovative international Summer School at Montanuniversitaet Leoben took place from 8th-18th July 2018. The team from RIC Leoben provided interesting input on two half days. Setting the scene for the coming days of circular economy learning the international students were given presentations on RIC Leoben’s core activities. Naturally, the focus was on EIT Raw Materials, EIT Climate KIC and the Sustainable Development Goals. Students were provided with interesting information and opportunities for their further studies and career. For example:
All presentations embraced the circular economy as core element and showed the CirCOOL student group different points of view that EIT Raw Materials, EIT Climate KIC and the Sustainable Development Goals can add to the circular economy. EIT RM moved resources and their availability into the focus while EIT Climate KIC highlights disruptive change in activities linked to massive greenhouse gas emissions. Lastly, many circular economy practices foster the implantation of the SDGs as well as working on the SDGs improves the move to a more circular economy. The contribution of RIC Leoben was rounded off by an interactive group work on the last day of CirCOOL.
Die EU-Innovationsschmiede EIT Climate-KIC eröffnet heute eine neue Geschäftsstelle in Österreich. Unter der Leitung von Johannes Naimer-Stach wird EIT Climate-KIC Austria ein regionales Partner-Netzwerk aufbauen, welches systematisch Innovationen gegen den Klimawandel fördert. Vier österreichische Partner sind zu Beginn Teil dieses über 300 Mitglieder starken europäischen Partner-Netzwerks: WWF Österreich, die Montanuniverstität Leoben, Brainbows und das Austrian Institute of Technology.
“Ich freue mich über die Entscheidung von EIT Climate-KIC, verstärkt in Österreich aktiv zu werden. Dies ist ein gutes Zeichen für klimafreundliche Innovationen in Österreich, gerade vor der bevorstehenden EU-Präsidentschaft.”, so Johannes Naimer-Stach, Country Manager von EIT Climate-KIC Austria.
Neben dem Ausbau des Start-up Accelerator Programmes, werden Innovationsprojekte, wie das Landscape Finance Lab, sowie der 24-Stunden Klima-Hackathon Climathon am 19. & 20. Oktober 2018 in Wien und Graz, Höhepunkte dieses Jahres sein.
Mehr Informationen zu EIT Climate-KIC Austria finden Sie unter: at.climate-kic.org
Über 300 exzellente Partner aus Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und öffentlicher Hand bilden mit
EIT Climate-KIC Europas größtes öffentlich-privates Netzwerk für Innovationen gegen den Klimawandel. EIT Climate-KIC ist in 25 europäischen Ländern aktiv und verknüpft Innovationsförderung, ein europäisches Accelerator-Programm für Start-ups, sowie hochwertige Bildungsangebote um systematisch Wissen in wettbewerbsfähige Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu wandeln. Gegründet wurde diese „Knowledge and Information Community“ (KIC) 2010 vom Europäischen Institut für Innovation und Technologie (EIT).
Mehr Informationen finden Sie unter www.climate-kic.org.
Regional Center Leoben at the EIT Raw Material Partner Summit Strategy Meeting 29th-30th May 2018, Berlin
The overall goal of the Partner Summit was to refocus the aims and objectives of the EIT Raw Materials and update some parts of the EIT Raw Materials’ strategy (education, RIS, start-ups, financial sustainability, Lighthouse Programmes). Partners of all CLCs were present and invited to share their thoughts on the development of the EIT Raw Materials. Many discussions were held and viewpoints exchanged as to how the network should develop. The EIT management team could collect a multitude of constructive ideas and feedback due to the breaking up of the large participants crowd into smaller groups. Additionally, the event was a perfect networking place and allowed for an exchange of new project ideas and areas of joint innovation.
The Partner Summit Strategy Meeting of EIT Raw Materials was attended by Peter Moser, Hanno Bertignoll and Anna Meyer. Karin Rehatschek joined the following day for the first General Assembly Meeting, where partners voted on recent changes in legal framework and the inclusion or upgrade of new partners.
EIT Climate-KIC and partners (University of Bologna, Wuppertal Institute, Lund University, Montanuniversität Leoben and Ecomatters) have launched an exciting programme to cut down plastic demand, promoting a more circular approach to plastic-based material systems.
The project aims to explore and use innovative digital tools to improve plastics waste prevention. This can, for example, include blockchain solutions for improved market transparency, data analytics for simulation and forecast applications, and cyber physical systems for improved reuse and remanufacturing business models.
49 million tons of plastic were used in the EU in 2015 for packaging, building and construction, electronics or the automotive industry. Currently, less than 40 per cent are recycled, more than 30 per cent are incinerated for energy recovery and the remaining are landfilled.
The quality of recycled plastics is increasing – however, the overall uptake of recycled plastics remains low. Only 6 per cent of new plastic materials come from recycling; 95 per cent of the potential economic value in plastic packaging currently goes to waste.
eCircular aims to tackle this issue, enhancing plastic waste prevention by developing and supporting digital innovations.
Project lead Alberto Bellini, from the University of Bologna, says: “eCircular thrives for radical digital innovations for waste prevention and their upscaling. Digital technologies foster traceability of materials and products, allow for accurate information flows on product qualities and availability, reducing gaps in knowledge and regulation.”
“The programme seeks to strongly contribute to the European strategy for plastics in a circular economy. It gathers and unites the relevant actors on a powerful platform to overcome major barriers, different knowledge bases, and priorities,” says Kirsten Dunlop, CEO at EIT Climate-KIC.
Sira Saccani, EIT Climate KIC’s Director of Sustainable Production Systems, adds that the programme “aims to transform the plastics value chain, addressing current structural inefficiencies through innovative business models & eco-design, as well as supporting the shift to new consumer choices and behaviours.”
eCircular is one of the EIT Climate-KIC’s initiatives on addressing the challenges plastic value chains face. EIT Climate-KIC’s ambition is to co-design and launch a series of circular economy interventions on cement, plastics and metals value-chains, to achieve its goal of recasting material production towards net-zero emissions.
Background
eCircular was launched in May 2018 by EIT Climate-KIC, with research and activities carried out by the University of Bologna (lead organisation), Wuppertal Institute, Lund University, Montanuniversität Leoben, and Ecomatters.
EIT Climate-KIC is contributing by leveraging it innovation network of key stakeholders in the industry to catalyse a change in the system.
About EIT Climate-KIC
EIT Climate-KIC is Europe’s largest public-private innovation partnership focused on climate innovation to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, we identify and support innovation that helps society mitigate and adapt to climate change.
For more information please visit:
Or contact ecircular@climate-kic.org
The university project UniNEtZ (Universities and Sustainable Development Goals) was initiated by Alliance of Sustainable Universities in Austria and connects fifteen Austrian universities to a common goal: to work towards the SGDs. UniNEtZ was presented to representatives of different ministries on the 7.5.2018 in Vienna. The participation of Montanuniversitaet Leoben in the set-up of the project was supported by RIC Leoben. The project, which starts in 2019, aims to create a report of Austria’s current SDG implementation. This report can be used to derive options for Austria’s future development in the light of the SDGs. The project will assess research, education, further education, responsible science and higher education management. Additionally, the project shall foster interdisciplinary work in and across the fifteen participating universities. The innovative linking of gathered knowledge and research among the universities shall, however, not be limited to them but spill over to political stakeholders, administration, economy and civil society. Furthermore, the project aims to enhance competences regarding questions posed by the SDGs. In this respect researchers and students will build up competencies to attempt answers on how to achieve the SDGs.
The first of two CLC East Partner Meetings in 2018 was organized in Berlin on the 24th and 25th April 2018. The participation of partners was high and it was important for the RIC Leoben team to be present in order to jointly envisage future strategies in the CLC East. In more detail, the need for an ESEE Education strategy was discussed. The new CLC East Education Officer Imre Gombkoto presented a roadmap for a newly to be established Working Group on the ESEE Education Strategy. RIC Leoben is planning to support this Working Group. It is vital for the ESEE region to tackle issues such as brain drain and tertiary education renewal together. The partner meeting involved two group activities that showed the CLC East partners willingness to work together on their innovative ideas for the ESEE region.
From the 21st-23rd March 2018 the Global Festival of Sustainable Development took place in Bonn, Germany. To observe the new trends in SDG implementation and to learn how to raise SDG awareness RIC Leoben visited the event. The event was structured around impact (local, national, global initiatives), methods (data, events, social media, virtual reality) or organizational levels (EU, national governments, municipalities) instead according to the SDGs 1-17. This allowed for a mix of stakeholders and ideas. For example, the session “Mobilizing action through the power of events” presented different event types to raise SDG awareness while at the same time input of how to organize events in line with sustainable development.
RIC Leoben’s presence allowed establishing valuable connections to SDG agents working with Virtual Reality to support sustainable development via education. Furthermore, connection to the Circular Economy Club was made and mutual support was discussed.
Finally, the festival shared the spirit of global change and a spark of it was carried back to Montanuniversitaet Leoben.