BERLIN, June 8, — World-leading mining and metallurgy group Eramet is teaming up with Europe’s leading raw materials authority, EIT RawMaterials, to launch the Water Resource Innovation Challenge 2023. They invite candidate companies to offer groundbreaking solutions to solve water management challenges within the mining and metals industry.
The Innovation Challenge 2023 is seeking specific solutions to water-related challenges, such as safeguarding water quality by addressing concerns like pollution, wastewater management and erosion, reducing water consumption, and maximising recycling and implementing closed-loop systems in the field of hydrometallurgy.
Since water mismanagement within the mining operations can harm local communities and habitats, the industry has a heightened obligation to adopt sustainable water management practices to minimize its environmental impact while also ensuring access to valuable resources.
For decades, Eramet has been actively implementing water management measures in its mining ventures and has a broad portfolio of successful projects that use creative solutions in numerous locations throughout the world, including Argentina, Gabon, or New Caledonia.
The ultimate goal of the Challenge is to create lasting partnerships between Eramet and start-ups. This presents both an opportunity to collaborate with a global mining group at the forefront of sustainable mining solutions and to gain visibility on an international scale.
Last year’s Challenge 2022 was dedicated to safety. The winner, Unusuals, proposed a solution on the use of artificial intelligence and data processing to automate maintenance of assets and detect any anomalies. Its project is currently being tested in Senegal.
This year, with the help of EIT RawMaterials, Eramet is looking to foster the next breakthrough innovation to boost the management of water to help ensure a sustainable future for the mining and metals industry.
The winner will be awarded €50,000 to carry out a POC (Proof Of Concept), supported by Eramet, to develop and test their solution in the field.
“Promoting sustainability in the mining and metals industry and fostering innovation are fundamental elements of EIT RawMaterials’ mission, so I am thrilled to announce our support for Eramet’s Water Resource Innovation Challenge 2023. Initiatives like this have a key role to play in providing sustainable access to strategic raw materials, and Europe’s transition to a green and digital economy.” – Bernd Schäfer, CEO, Managing Director, EIT RawMaterials
“Capping water consumption and preserving its quality is a paramount global challenge. At Eramet, we believe that innovation plays a vital role in addressing this in our industry. We are excited to launch the Water Resource Innovation Challenge 2023, as we seek to discover and support the next innovator who can contribute to this crucial cause in cooperation with our teams.” – Marion Lenoir, Open Innovation Director at Eramet Ideas
Apply for the Challenge
Start-ups and SMEs which offer solutions to preserve water quality or reduce water consumption and/or maximise recycling in mining or hydrometallurgy are invited to apply to the Water Resource Innovation Challenge 2023 from 5 June to 13 September 2023.
A group of 10 pre-selected teams will be invited to participate in an online pitching round on 25 October 2023.
Three finalists will be selected for the innovation seminar pitch in January 2024 and the winning team will be awarded a collaboration contract with Eramet and €50,000 in funding to realise a Proof of Concept.
Apply here
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Elisabeth Ippel
Communications Manager
EIT RawMaterials
E: elisabeth.ippel@eitrawmaterials.eu M: + 49 173 2391504
ERAMET Media Contact
Fanny Mounier
Media relations manager
E: fanny.mounier@eramet.com P: +33 7 65 26 46 83
EIT RawMaterials
EIT RawMaterials was established in 2015 to advance Europe’s transition into a sustainable economy and is the leading European raw materials partnership. The mission of EIT RawMaterials to secure a sustainable raw materials supply for Europe, close materials loops, design product solutions and to ultimately develop raw materials into a major strength for Europe by driving innovation, education and entrepreneurship. EIT RawMaterials is also the largest network in the raw materials sector worldwide with over 300 members across the entire raw materials value chain.
Eramet
Eramet transforms the Earth’s mineral resources to provide sustainable and responsible solutions to the growth of the industry and to the challenges of the energy transition. Its employees are committed to this through their civic and contributory approach in all the countries where the mining and metallurgical group is present. Manganese, nickel, mineral sands, lithium, and cobalt: Eramet recovers and develops metals that are essential to the construction of a more sustainable world. As a privileged partner of its industrial clients, the Group contributes to making robust and resistant infrastructures and constructions, more efficient means of mobility, safer health tools and more efficient telecommunications devices. Fully committed to the era of metals, Eramet’s ambition is to become a reference for the responsible transformation of the Earth’s mineral resources for living well together
