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EIS SUCCESSFUL SUPERCLUSTER EVENT ON MINERAL RAW MATERIALS BRINGS TOGETHER 124 INDUSTRY EXPERTS

Rovaniemi, Lapland — 30-31 October 2023 — Exploration Information System (EIS) is thrilled to announce the successful completion of the EU SuperCluster Event on current technological challenges and topics within the Raw Materials sector. The event attracted a record-breaking attendance of 124 industry experts, researchers, and professionals from around the world. The event, held on the 30-31 October 2023, served as an invaluable platform for exchanging knowledge and ideas in the critical field of raw materials exploration. It was by far the biggest clustering event of the European Union funded projects in the field of mineral raw materials.

The SuperCluster Event, hosted at Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus in Rovaniemi, featured an array of engaging presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, providing attendees with an in-depth understanding of the latest developments and challenges in the exploration of raw materials. Invited speakers, industry leaders, and experts in the field shared their insights on cutting-edge technologies, sustainable practices, and global trends that are reshaping the raw materials industry.

Oral presentations: Distinguished speakers from leading organizations in the raw materials sector shared their insights on the future of exploration, sustainability, and innovation in five separate sessions. Thanks to Nick Cook from the University of Queensland, Australia who made an online appearance and initiated the idea of this event with EIS project coordinator, GTK.
Panel Discussions: In-depth panel discussions after each oral session allowed participants to engage in meaningful conversations on topics such as innovative mineral exploration, earth observation in exploration and mining, environmental, social, and governance in exploration and mining, critical raw materials supply, and new frontiers for exploration.
Poster Sessions: Emerging researchers and scientists from 23 EU-funded projects had the opportunity to present their findings through poster sessions, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Networking Opportunities: The event provided ample networking opportunities, enabling attendees to establish valuable connections and partnerships within the industry.

“We are delighted with the overwhelming response to our SuperCluster Event on Raw Materials Exploration,” said Professor Vesa Nykänen, project coordinator of EIS. “The event served as a testament to the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing the challenges and opportunities in the raw materials sector. We are confident that the knowledge shared here will contribute to the sustainable development of this critical industry and to the understanding of the importance of the EU-funded research for the society and industry.”

From left to right: Satu Ojanen, Juha Kaija and Vesa Nykänen from GTK

The success of this SuperCluster Event would not have been possible without the contribution of multiple EU projects in Raw Materials and the hard work and dedication of EIS partners.

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EIS, AN EU PROJECT DELVES INTO A NEW INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR EXPLORING CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS

THE EIS PROJECT WILL PLAY A SUPPORTING ROLE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL AND EUROPE’S LONG-TERM SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS

Kick-off Meeting consortium photo taken on the 8th of June
Rovaniemi, Finland – The Exploration Information System project, in short EIS, had its official kick-off meeting from the 7th to the 9th of June 2022. As part of the Horizon Europe program, EIS will play a critical role in finding new sources of critical raw materials for the EU’s transitioning economy by developing innovative exploration concepts and data analysis tools.

Funded by the European Commission and launched on the 1st of May 2022, , EIS project’s coordinator GTK organized a kick-off meeting in Rovaniemi and gathered 16 partners from six EU countries, South Africa, and one associate partner from Brazil along with world-leading geologists, data analysts, and other experts who discussed their roles in the project and other planning activities. The meeting was followed by a field trip to one of Lapland’s fascinating mafic layered intrusions, a real treat for all geologists out there!

The EIS consortium aims to develop methods and tools that will reduce the current high exploration costs and improve the accuracy of targeting during the early phase of mineral exploration. The project will put into practice open-source tools for all stages of mineral prospectivity analysis. The package will be published in the form of an EIS QGIS Wizard, which is made on an open-source geographic information system (GIS) platform called QGIS. This will promote a more responsible standard in the field of mineral exploration.

Field tests will be held in the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Finland, Sweden, France, Brazil, and South Africa, to examine the success of the EIS tools to find mineral resources crucial for the European Union climate goals.

The project also aims to increase the awareness of the general public on the importance of critical raw materials for the European Union in our transition to a green future by producing information materials related to primary raw materials.

“One aim of EIS is to make better decisions throughout all stages of a mineral exploration project. This will help to increase productivity, efficiency, and thus, makes mineral exploration more environmentally responsible and sustainable. Mining stakeholders and experts have been looking forward to tools like these. A Scope Engagement Forum will be launched aiming to engage with policymakers, regulators, academia, NGOs, citizens, and end-users. This forum will stimulate stakeholder engagement and enhance societal acceptance, and uptake of EIS innovations.”

Juha KAIJA, GTK, Stakeholder engagement leader of the EIS project.

As a Horizon Europe project, EIS will have a triple impact on the EU’s 2050 climate goals. By developing tools and methods to reduce the ecological impact of mineral explorations, finding new sources of raw materials critical for the digitalization of the European Union, and raising awareness of the important role of raw materials. All these impacts play a fundamental role in our transition to a green future.

Partners: GEOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS (GTK) (Coordinator from Finland), BEAK CONSULTANTS GMBH (Germany), BUREAU DE RECHERCHES GEOLOGIQUES ET MINIERES (France), LULEA TEKNISKA UNIVERSITET (Sweden), AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS (Spain), SVERIGES GEOLOGISKA UNDERSOKNING (Sweden), KELIBER TECHNOLOGY OY (Finland), LGI SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION (France), GISPO OY (Finland), UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE (South Africa), TURUN YLIOPISTO (Finland), UNIVERZITA KARLOVA (The Czech Republic), DEUTSCHE LITHIUM GMBH (Germany), COBRE LAS CRUCES SA (Spain), TALGA BATTERY METALS AB (Sweden), GOLDEN PET S.R.O (The Czech Republic).

Associate Partner: UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DE CAMPINAS (Brazil).

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ABOUT EIS

EIS is a Horizon Europe project, coordinated by Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), and aims to develop new geomodels and novel, fast, and cost-effective spatial data analysis tools for mineral exploration. Learn more about the project here.