Urgent Challenges workshops explored circularity in the metals industry, CRMs & mine water management
News
Swedish Metals & Minerals recently hosted two Urgent Challenges workshops based on state-of-the-art analyses from ongoing research and innovation projects. One workshop, held in Eskilstuna, focused on circular metals, more scrap and less waste. The other, held in Luleå, focused on access to critical raw materials and mine water management. Together, the workshops brought together projects, industry representatives and funding agencies to share knowledge, discuss international developments and identify Sweden’s position and future research needs.
“This was the first time we gathered the projects granted funding from our Urgent Challenges call in open workshops to present and discuss their projects in relation to the state of the art of the challenges they address, and to identify potential synergies between projects. From a programme perspective, the workshops raised important issues that we can take with us for the future. The feedback from participants was also positive, with several benefits reported, such as good networking opportunities, taking a step back to look at the big picture, and finding new project ideas.” – Lawrence Hooey, Head of Technical Innovation, Swedish Metals & Minerals
Eskilstuna – April 22
Urgent Challenges for circular metals: more scrap, less waste
The first Urgent Challenges workshop was held at the Swedish Energy Agency in Eskilstuna and focused on circular metals, more scrap and less waste. The day addressed topics such as scrap handling, material reuse and the use of waste materials as resources.
After an introduction to the Swedish Energy Agency and the workshop format, five research projects presented analyses of the current state of the art and ongoing research in an international context, connected to the urgent challenges addressed by their specific projects.
Presenting projects included RESIO, SPÅRA2, BRAZERO, ReMAT and RESAND. Together, they covered research on scrap systems, trace elements in steel, lead-free brass, reused materials for additive manufacturing and surplus foundry sand in unbound road materials.
After lunch, Klas Cullbrand presented Net Zero Industry, one of the five Impact Innovation programs. He shared perspectives on industrial challenges and gave a short landscape analysis.
The rest of the day was dedicated to workshop discussions, where participants explored urgent questions and challenges relevant to research and projects within Swedish Metals & Minerals. After lively discussions, the groups presented their conclusions. While the discussions did not provide definitive answers, they opened up important perspectives for the continued development of the projects and the program.
Luleå – April 23
Urgent Challenges for access to CRMs and mine water management
The second Urgent Challenges workshop was held at Arctic Business in Luleå and focused on access to critical raw materials and mine water management.
The day brought together ongoing research and innovation projects, industry representatives and funding agencies to share state-of-the-art analyses and discuss how Sweden can strengthen its position and future research efforts in these areas.
During the morning session, several projects presented summaries of their state of the art reports. The presentations covered a broad range of topics, from tectonic controls on critical raw material prospectivity and innovative technologies for deep mineral targeting, to selective extraction of rare earth elements and new treatment technologies for mine water.
Presenting projects included TECTONiSM, NAVIS, Zymatic REE, UREM, NARMIN II and PUREMINE.
Before lunch, Johan Strandberg from one of the other Impact Innovation programs, Water Wise Societies, contributed perspectives on water challenges and innovation, connecting the workshop discussions to broader questions of water use, sustainability and industrial transformation.
After lunch, industry representatives from Boliden, Kaunis Iron and Talga Group shared practical water-related challenges from different parts of the mining and metals sector.
In the afternoon, participants took part in parallel workshop sessions focusing on water challenges and access to critical raw materials. The workshop also gave Swedish Metals & Minerals the opportunity to try a new format for dialogue and knowledge exchange between projects, industry and funding agencies. Through round-robin discussions, breakout sessions and joint reflections, participants contributed insights on research needs, industry challenges and future opportunities for collaboration.
The discussions provided valuable input on how Swedish Metals & Minerals and the research community can continue to address these urgent challenges in future activities and calls.
Presentations from both workshops (will be updated as presentations become available):
RESIO
SPÅRA2
BRAZERO
ReMAT
RESAND
TECTONiSM
NAVIS
Zymatic REE
UREM
NARMIN II
PUREMINE
Swedish Metals & Minerals would like to thank all presenters and participants for contributing to two valuable days of knowledge sharing, dialogue and collaboration.
A special thank you to all presenting projects and contributors: RESIO, SPÅRA2, BRAZERO, ReMAT, RESAND, TECTONiSM, NAVIS, Zymatic REE, UREM, NARMIN II and PUREMINE, as well as the Swedish Energy Agency, Net Zero Industry, Water Wise Societies, Boliden, Kaunis Iron and Talga Group.
