As one of the ten Polish institutions, Wrocław University of Technology has become a partner of the “Raw Materials” KIC Consortium. Together with other partners, it will be involved e.g. in the development of new technologies
In December 2014, the European Institute of Technology (EIT) established the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) in the area of research on raw materials.
The “Raw Materials” KIC Consortium is composed of over 100 partners from 21 EU countries, including major technical universities, scientific and research institutes, and strategic companies.
The Consortium headquarters will be in Berlin, with further Co-Location Centres in six other cities:
• Wrocław (Poland, Eastern Co-Location Centre),
• Espoo (Finland, Baltic Sea Co-Location Centre),
• Leuven (Belgium, Western Co-Location Centre),
• Luleå (Sweden, Nordic Co-Location Centre),
• Metz (France, Central Co-Location Centre),
• Rome (Italy, Southern Co-Location Centre).
In the Consortium, there are ten institutions from Poland: Stanisław Staszic University of Science and Technology in Cracow, the Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals in Gliwice, KGHM Cuprum R&D Centre, KGHM Polska Miedź, KGHM ZANAM, The Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Łódź University of Technology, Silesian University of Technology, Wrocław University of Technology, and Wrocław Research Centre EIT+.
The “Raw Materials” KIC has defined a number of priority tasks that it plans to complete until 2018. These include, e.g. support and development of 40 technologies, establishing 16 start-ups, graduating over 1000 people with MSc and PhD degrees, and until 2022 – commercialization of 70 patents. The planned annual budget, after the initial phase, will amount to € 120 million.
In the strategy of the European Institute of Technology for the period 2014-2020, about €2,7 billion has been earmarked for the “Horizon 2020” programme, including € 80 billion for the consolidation and further development of Knowledge and Innovation Communities (e.g. “Climate-IC”, “Labs” EIT ICT, “InnoEnergy” KIC). It is expected that the “Raw Materials” KIC will integrate and consolidate the innovative potential of the raw materials sector by introducing new solutions, products, and services that will allow a sustainable exploration, extraction, processing and recycling of natural resources.
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Translation: Dariusz Więcławski
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