The ISMC cluster has mobilized nearly 200 million euros globally in innovation projects in raw materials and mining over the last year, with the aim of contributing to ensuring the sustainable supply of European industry.

Santiago Cuesta López, director of the ISMC, manages to attract 3 million Euros to León, and almost another 5 million that will mainly benefit Leonese and Andalusian companies. The funds will be allocated to regional, national and international innovation projects, within the prestigious Horizon Europe programme, and all of them coordinated and promoted from the innovation procurement office that the national cluster of raw materials has in the León Technology Park. “We closed a very beneficial year for the consolidation of the cluster. We have achieved a large European presence and an attraction of international funds close to 3 million euros, which position us as a benchmark in supporting innovation and promoting business. We continue to grow exponentially to consolidate mining territories and regions together and thanks to all the companies that trust us by joining the cluster” explained Cuesta López.

Cuesta and his team have positioned the cluster in the most important European social development circles in 2022, as well as in the most relevant international dialogue tables for the “European Pact” on raw materials promoted by Ursula Von der Leyen.

The ISMC cluster closed this week the first tranche of activities of 2023, and continues its unstoppable growth, already affiliating more than 55 companies throughout the entire mining and raw materials value chain. The entity continues its growth with the opening of new offices in cities like Sevilla or Murcia, from where they intend to reach more Spanish SMEs that work in the value chain of raw materials, “with the clear objective that Spain becomes the European benchmark for the sustainable supply of critical raw materials” pointed out Cuesta López.

Closing of the period and promotion of new relevant activities

The association has recently held its ordinary General Assembly in Madrid, where it has presented the results of the last year seeking funds and innovation bonds, as well as the
projects and initiatives that are on the way, “Our objective is to consolidate a ecosystem of companies relevant to the mining sector and its associated services at the national level, which accelerates the transition towards a new innovative and sustainable industry, with international projection and capacity to secure Europe’s supply of the raw materials that will shape the technologies of the future”, stressed the technologist.

ISMC will have a key role in the XV International Congress on Energy and Mineral Resources, to be held in León from November 22 to 24 of this year, and will organize during October, together with the association of the AMINER Metallic Mining, a high-level trade mission in Morocco to find synergies and opportunities for exploitation and mining services for companies in León.

The National Raw Materials Cluster is already a priority actor in the European Union, having established strong links with the European Commission and its Directorates-General for Growth and Industry, Environment and Regions, as well as its European Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), the Agency for the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME ), the European Institute of Technology for Raw Materials (EIT Raw Materials) and the European Smart Specialization Platforms (S3P), in particular the one dedicated to the mining industry and its associated value chains, in addition to coordinating at the European level the pilot sustainable supply of raw materials for the battery value chain (S3P Platform – AMBP).

At a critical moment in which raw materials are not only essential for the production of a wide range of goods and services used in daily life, but also for the development of emerging and globally competitive technologies, “the work of the cluster is more than necessary to ensure access to a stable supply of many raw materials since it represents a major challenge for national and regional economies with limited production, as is the case of the economy of the European Union, which depends on imports of many minerals and metals necessary for the industry“, concluded Cuesta López in his speech.

The ISMC cluster has demonstrated, in the last year, the relevance of its role when it comes to promote the green economy and sustainability in the field of raw materials. Through European mechanisms of cascading financing and innovation bonds, has provided 13 Spanish companies with the financial resources necessary to implement sustainability, environmental protection or circular economy measures. In addition, several companies from Leon have benefited from the cluster’s activity, including Pizarras la Baña, Pizarras Matacouta or IPC Control, which are already implementing digitization processes and digital twins on their farms, thus reducing their energy consumption or environmental impact.

MORE INFORMATION

National Cluster for Sustainable Mining and Associated Services of the Iberian Peninsula – ISMC – www.ismc-iberiamine.com

ISMC brings together more than 60 companies, professional organizations, universities and research centers totaling more than 1,900 employees dedicated to the mining industry and its associated services.

Its mission is to join efforts and attract relevant players in the mining and raw materials value chains in order to promote sustainability and circularity in the sector as well as boost growth, competitiveness and innovation.

The cluster works hand in hand with its members and collaborating entities to consolidate the strengths of the mining industry at a global level, with special interest in the development of collaborative projects with commercial and institutional partners in the European Union.

The ISMC was founded in 2018, since then, the cluster has broadened its horizon and scope, becoming an effective instrument to promote innovation in the mining sector both at a national and European level.

Its activities and services are perfectly aligned with European policies, initiatives and strategies related to resource efficiency, sustainable development and the circular economy. This alignment guarantees ISMC’s ability to integrate the Spanish mining industry into global value chains through the development and use of new innovative products, processes and services, particularly in achieving sustainable mining with low environmental impact, in that natural resources are used wisely and efficiently.

Communications manager: Alicia García López (+34) 987 440 481

comunicacion@ismc-iberiamine.com / a.garcia@ismc-iberiamine.com