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Article in Le Temps: The (very) big challenges of transition minerals
January 21, 2023
The struggle to access copper, lithium, nickel and others, the new oil, is intensifying. Between lack of know-how, local opposition and logistical challenges, Europe is lagging behind. There were reactions in 2022, but not in Switzerland https://www.letemps.ch/economie/tres-gros-defis-minerais-tr
January 4, 2023
For an issue on raw materials of the Swiss magazine "Swissfuture - Magazin für Zukünfte" in December 2022, the ESM wrote an article on "Critical raw materials: a topic for the Switzerland of the future". You can download the magazine here (in German): https://www.swissfuture.ch/wp-content/uploads/20
January 4, 2023
ESM CEO Alessandra Hool and Vice President Patrick Wäger have imagined a possible future for the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP): What If States Realized Their Societal Goals Through Alliances Built on Critical Raw Materials? Read the scenario in the DGAP memo here: https://dgap.org/en/r
Join IRTC in Lille – February 15 – 17, 2023
August 22, 2022
The first IRTC conference in Lille will take place from February 15 – 17, 2023, and will be all about dialogue: moderated keynote conversations with international criticality experts will alternate with sessions comprising talks as well as further in-depth discussions with the presenters. The sessio
ESM congratulates the winners of the SusCritMOOC business idea competition
April 13, 2022
The ESM congratulates the two teams who won in the SusCritMOOC business idea competition. At the end of our co-developed MOOC, the participants could submit a business idea proposal that would make critical raw materials management more sustainable. Both teams won 500€ price money together with a
Upcoming
Join us in disseminating knowledge and sharing best practice!
IRTC 2023 – Raw Materials for a Sustainable Future
Duration: -
The first IRTC conference in Lille will take place from February 15 – 17, 2023, and will be all about dialogue: moderated keynote conversations with international criticality experts will alternate with sessions comprising talks as well as further in-depth discussions with the presenters. The sessions will be chaired by multidisciplinary teams of experts. We look forward to welcoming a diverse and international mix of participants from a variety of backgrounds! Do you want to contribute with a talk or poster? Abstract submission will open end of August. We welcome your contribution on criticality methodology, stakeholder views, sourcing and trade, ESG and regulation, changing demand, circularity, and applications in policy and industry. Subscribe for updates on the Conference Website We look forward to seeing you in Lille!
Massive Open Online course SusCritMOOC
Duration: -
On 13th of October, our Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) with the name “Critical Raw Materials: Managing Resources for a Sustainable Future” launched officially on edX. The course provides a systemic understanding of CRMs and equips you with tools and strategies for managing them in a sustainable way. The course covers the entire raw materials’ value chain, which help see what actions can be taken at every stage and how you can make informed decisions, and contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable approach to CRMs, regardless of your professional or academic background. Key topics include access to raw materials, environmental and social impacts, geopolitical factors, market dynamics, economics, supply chains, global trends in CRM use, and resource efficiency. You can choose from three different tracks that cover possible solutions from a technical, business or policy perspective. These range from supply risk mitigation, exploration, urban mining and substitution to circularity strategies, business models, responsible sourcing and certification. This course also introduces you to experts, start-ups and projects in the field and inspires you to tackle problems with concrete initiatives. You can register for the upcoming self-paced version of the course on edX.org. For information about SusCritMat in general, you […]
What We Offer
Since its creation more than 65 years ago, ESM has fostered industrial materials research related to critical elements. Over 2 Mio CHF have been granted to projects in fields where less common elements play a crucial role.
Building Networks
We connect knowledge carriers from academia and industry
Generating Knowledge
We fund relevant studies and foster outstanding students
Supporting Industry
We support industry with knowledge and a network of specialists
