• Newly established Inter-Regional Centre will play a strategic role in diversifying Europe’s raw materials supply supporting the objectives of the Critical Raw Materials Act
• Inter-Regional Centre will connect critical and strategic raw materials projects in Türkiye and Central Asia with European industry
• EIT RawMaterials is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, a body of the European Union

Istanbul, September 27, 2024 — EIT RawMaterials announced a new partnership with Türkiye-based Tethys: Trans-Eurasian Gateway, a body focused on secure critical raw materials supplies through international collaboration, to establish the ‘EIT RawMaterials Inter-Regional Centre’ in Istanbul, Türkiye.

The Centre marks the first EIT RawMaterials initiative in the region and will act as a hub to catalyse innovation, education, and business creation in the raw materials sector focusing on Türkiye and Central Asia, a region rich in critical raw materials. Despite the abundance, the region’s mineral resources remain overlooked and underdeveloped, making it a crucial missing link in the global energy transition. The Centre will also play a key role in introducing green technologies to the sector and help expand the region’s primary resource offerings to the European market.

With growing global competition for resources, the Centre will help strengthen international partnerships in the raw materials space and deliver Europe’s strategic objectives set out in the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). As part of its mission, the EIT RawMaterials Inter-Regional Centre will scout and identify critical raw materials projects in Türkiye and Central Asia that align with the CRMA. Once a project is identified, it will undergo an evaluation process to ascertain its maturity within the expert group of the EIT Raw Materials-led European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) to decide upon financing options. The Centre will also support fundraising through providing access to European and Türkiye-based investors and financial institutions.

Bernd Schäfer, CEO, Managing Director of EIT RawMaterials highlighted the significance of this collaboration, stating: “The EIT RawMaterials Inter-Regional Centre will unite our networks and expertise to help unlock the region’s vast raw materials potential, to attract funding for new projects while driving knowledge exchange and skills development. Tethys is uniquely positioned to complement and support the identification and assessment of relevant critical raw materials projects in the region. This initiative will play an important role in securing Europe’s raw materials sovereignty and long-term industrial competitiveness.”

Leyla Keser Berber, Chairperson and Co-Founder of Tethys, added: “We are thrilled to partner with EIT RawMaterials to establish this Centre, which will not only unlock the rich potential of the Tethyan Belt but also help strengthen Europe’s critical raw materials security. This collaboration is a significant milestone for the region’s raw materials industry. By bridging the gap between nations in need of these resources and suppliers that require funding, innovation, and skills, we are creating win-win solutions.”

Türkiye has strong trade ties with the EU and already plays a crucial role in supplying Europe with critical minerals, meeting 63% of the EU’s antimony, 99% of its boron, and 51% of its feldspar) needs. In recent years, the EU and Türkiye have also deepened their collaboration in science, research, technology, and innovation to support the green and digital transitions.