MEET THE CONSORTIUM
Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto
FEUP
FEUP is the largest faculty of UPORTO, with more than 8000 students, 86 courses and close to 1000 teachers and researchers across 9 engineering departments. 22 R&D structures are recognized and and evaluated by FCT (Portuguese national funding agency for science, research and technology), among which 8 of having awarded “excellent” recognition in the most recent evaluation. Since 2014, FEUP has been developing project and cooperation protocols with more than 500 companies. In the framework of Portugal2020, more than 50 R&D project with strong cooperation with industry is on-going. FEUP is member of the Business Innovation Network (BIN@), promoting the applied research, the open innovation and the preparation of scientific and technical missions. The Raw Materials Group of the CERENA research unit brings expertise on three main areas: primary and secondary mineral raw materials; primary and secondary non-mineral raw materials and; eco-innovative materials. Challenges are tackled in a circular economy framework taking into account sustainability and efficiency of the resources, mostly in international partnerships. CERENA was classified with Excellent by FCT.
GEOS
G.E.O.S. is an independent mining & environmental consulting and engineering company. Core activities are engineering solutions along the whole value chain of mining, such as reconnaissance and geological exploration and evaluation of natural mineral and energy resources, mine planning and approval processes, mineral processing, environmental impact assessments and maintenance and revitalization planning for mining legacies and contaminated sites.
The core competences of the engineers and scientists involved in the project INN4MIN are in the field of raw material processing, especially leaching processes and metal recovery. GEOS is active in various European and German R&D projects regarding recovery of metals and other valuable materials from primary and secondary sources from lab-scale to pilot-scale and small scale industrial production.
French Geological Service
BRGM
BRGM, the French geological survey, is France’s leading public institution for Earth Science applications for the management of surface and sub-surface resources with a view to sustainable development.
Under partnerships with numerous public and private stakeholders, BRGM focuses on scientific research, expertise and innovation. Its activity meets 4 objectives:
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understanding geological phenomena and related risks,
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developing new techniques and methodologies,
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producing and distributing data for surface, subsurface and resource management,
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providing the tools required to manage the surface, subsurface and resources, prevent risks and pollution, and manage policies in response to climate change.
BRGM is involved in several European and French projects dedicated to the development of techniques for the production of metals from primary and secondary resources, with the possibility to perform tests from lab-scale to pilot-scale. Moreover, BRGM's labs offer a wide range of analytical capabilities for the characterization of the chemistry, mineralogy and also textural and physical properties of materials.
National Laboratory for Energy and Geology
LNEG
LNEG is the Portuguese National Laboratory for Energy and Geology. Under the slogan “Building a cleaner and better future”, LNEG’s mission is to develop independent contributions to the development of economy and to improve the quality of life, placing the scientific and technological knowledge at the service of society. Its Vision is to be a reference institution capable of contributing with excellent solutions for a decarbonised economy. LNEG develops research projects in the field of renewables energy, net-zero buildings and smart cities and plays the role of National Geological Survey. Within its’ mission LNEG develops scientific and technical research for the global sustainability of the mining industry. This mission is supported by an initial mineralogical paradigm, meaning that mineralogical, chemical and physical properties of mineral raw materials will be selectively incorporated into the final mineral products, thus influencing their technical features and behaviour. LNEG Mineral Science and Technology Unit (UCTM-LAB) is responsible for achieving these objective taking advantage of own specific knowhow and laboratory facilities, in the fields of analytical chemistry, mineralogy and geochemistry, ore microscopy, DRX, EMPA, ore-processing and also environmental impact assessment and control towards the development of low impact mining solutions.
Inova + Innovation Services S.A.
INOVA+
INOVA+ is a company working innovation since 1997. Integrating CONSULTING, INTERNATIONAL and DIGITAL business units, the company is a European leader supporting R&D and innovation activities, and national and European funded projects across multiple fields. INOVA+ portfolio includes corporations, companies, SMEs, start-ups, as well as scientific and R&D organisations and public authorities. INOVA+ has access to a well-established network of partners at a national, European and international level INOVA+ key-expertise is related to the development of innovation methodologies, conducting studies in specific research areas, supporting the testing of innovative solutions for industry, defining business plans, supporting technology transfer processes, preparation of market uptake plans for innovative solutions, network set-up and connecting stakeholders, promoting scientific results, implementing and delivering communication activities.
