Creating a unique collaborative environment for breakthrough innovations

EIT RawMaterials has announced the results of Call for Projects 2022 (KAVA Call 8), which selected for funding a range of high-quality innovation, education and RIS (Regional Innovation Scheme) projects which will contribute strongly to the strategic objectives of EIT RawMaterials. Selected by a panel of external experts from a pool of 65 final proposals, the 23 selected projects demonstrated a high level of knowledge triangle integration, bringing together expertise from higher education, research and industry. This selection rate demonstrated a success rate of 35% for final proposals in KAVA Call 8.

More than 100 organisations from across Europe will take part in the newly selected projects, including 24 organisations which are new to the EIT RawMaterials community, illustrating the openness of the call. With SMEs and start-ups taking leading roles in a number of the 13 selected upscaling projects, the EIT RawMaterials community demonstrated its commitment to strengthening business and entrepreneurship across regional innovation ecosystems.

In the area of Education, the six selected projects focused on the strategically important areas of Lifelong Learning for the battery value chain and materials criticality, as well as new approaches to entrepreneurial education for master’s students in the fields of exploration and mining engineering. Meanwhile, the five selected RIS projects will bring together a strong range of partners who will make concrete contributions to increasing the innovation capacities of local ecosystems in EIT RIS regions.

We have selected a strong portfolio of projects which will have a lasting impact on our strategic objectives of securing raw materials supply, designing materials solutions and closing materials loops. Now we are ready to support our partners in the realisation of these projects and to bring clear benefits to the raw materials sector in Europe, by connecting education, innovation and technology across the raw materials value chain.

Bernd Schäfer, CEO and Managing Director of EIT RawMaterials

2021 saw EIT RawMaterials launch two KAVA calls, with KAVA Call 9 currently in the first stage of the proposal selection process, with the aim of selecting the final proposals in April 2022.

See the full list of projects selected for KAVA 8