Dear members and friends of the EIT RawMaterials Community,

In April, Earth Day was celebrated by many by pledging support for climate action. It is great to see this movement gaining momentum which means that our EIT RawMaterials community gets more and more visibility and support for the work it has been doing: supporting innovations and skills building to secure the raw materials supply needed for the transition to a green, circular and carbon-neutral Europe!

In particular, the circular economy concept is getting more attention, and rightly so! It offers a solutions-based perspective for sustainable growth within increasing environmental constraints. At EIT RawMaterials, we constantly seek out and support innovators adopting new circular business models and integrating circular design. Closing materials loops will help Europe to tackle the increasing insecurity of our raw materials supply. Our Raw Materials and Circular Societies Lighthouse portfolio comprises over 60 ongoing projects, demonstrating the central role of raw materials in the circular transition. I encourage you to check the available opportunities to join circular actions, so that for Earth Day 2022 we can tell the world what we achieved together.

Meanwhile, the two clusters of the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA), on Rare Earth Magnets and Motors and on Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion, are making good progress. Both clusters aim to secure the supply of materials which are essential for Europe’s transition to renewable energy and e-mobility. We are working on regulatory actions which will enable Europe to become the global leader in raw materials supply and circular economy for green technologies. We are also starting the second round of evaluations of investment cases that diversify supply chains and support innovation to further secure raw materials supply in Europe.

I am happy to announce that the online RawMaterials Summit 2021 will have an exciting agenda. On 17 June, we’ll be joined by top level industrialists, entrepreneurs, policymakers and thought leaders in the raw materials field, for focused discussions. Join us online to discover how innovation and education, circular businesses and a secure supply of raw materials can enable the EU Green Deal. Save the date!

On this note, I sincerely hope you and your loved ones are well. Stay safe!

Warm regards,
Bernd Schäfer
CEO, Managing Director