Within the framework of the conference, Montanuniversitaet RIC Leoben organized half a day focusing on “Raw Materials” made in Europe for Europe. These comprised the global consumption of resources of all categories with a future outlook on this development, the extractive industries and their societal acceptance, Europe’s mineral potential, influences of non-European markets on EU raw material’s production, knowledge management on European raw materials supply chains, the renewability of metal resources as well as policy instruments and their influence on innovation in the raw materials sector.
The European raw materials initiative, EUMICON, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism of the Republic of Austria organized the EUMICON 2018 Conference in Vienna from September 26th to 28th, within the scope of the Austrian EU Council Presidency. An international stakeholder group concerned with sustainable Raw Materials supply for society came together and discussed highly relevant topics revolving around the technological revolution which will bring about a whole new range of products and innovative services in the coming decades: Automated cars, SMART technology, Internet of Things. Knowledge exchange revolved around how such developments will have a significant impact on the added value of the extractive industry and its downstream branches as well as the political conditions which will act as a significant driver – or indeed a brakeman. Access to raw materials, circular economy or robust and fair trade with other regions of the world – all of these factors that will shape the future of the European extractive industry and its value added, were up for discussion in this international expert platform.
