Currently the EU is highly dependent on a small number of countries for raw materials, especially the critical raw materials that it needs for strategic value chains such as e-mobility, batteries, and renewable energy. Europe’s opportunity to become self-sufficient, resilient, sustainable and responsible in critical minerals supply from its own resources is a reachable goal due to its geological setting and significant mineral endowment. However, many of the critical raw materials do not form their own mineral deposits, but rather are produced as by-products, associated with other primary commodity mines. This switch to a multi-element way of mining will demand new ways to conduct exploration activities in general, as exploration must nowadays shift to the more integrated point of view of mineral systems. There is also a need to develop innovative exploration concepts and data analysis tools to enhance the probability of finding new sources of critical raw materials for the EU’s economy.

Twelve EU-funded raw materials projects EIS, AGEMERA, CIRAN, GOLDENEYE, GREENPEG, SEMACRET, M4MINING, MaDiTraCe, MinExTarget, MultiMiner, S34I and EXCEED, and the University of Queensland (Australia) arepartnering up to organize a one-and-a-half-day clustering event “European Union SuperCluster Lapland Geoconference”, which will take place on Monday 30^th and Tuesday 31^st October 2023 in Rovaniemi, Finland. See more information: Clustering Event – EIS (eis-he.eu)

With this event, the organisers hope to bring together a wide range of stakeholders, such as the European Commission, EU projects and other initiatives related to the raw materials sector; regional authorities; industrial representatives; exploration companies as well as other interested stakeholders, to discuss and exchange ideas on current technological challenges and topics within the sector.

The SuperCluster event will be organized just before the official start of the 14^th Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining (FEM) 2023 conference (Levi, Kittilä, Finland. Home – FEM (femconference.fi)).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• Registration: EU SuperCluster Lapland Geoconference 30 – 31 October 2023 (lyyti.fi)
• Conference dates and times:
  • 30 October 2023, 09.30 – 17.15 EET
  • 31 October 2023, 09.00 – 12.30 EET
• Venue: Santa´s Hotel Santa Claus, address: Korkalonkatu 29, 96200 Rovaniemi (Google maps: Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus – Google Maps)
• Transport to Levi leaves from in front of the Hotel Santa Claus 31^st October at 13.30 EET
• Closing date for Abstracts:  1 September 2023
• Call for abstracts: Call for abstracts – EIS (eis-he.eu)
• The conference is free-of-charge!  Also, lunches and conference dinner are free for the registered participants.