Earth Observation platform, products and services for raw materials (IA) -

Expected Outcome

Projects outcomes will enable achieving the expected impacts of the destination by increasing access to primary raw materials and secondary raw materials, in particular critical raw materials[1] for EU industrial value chains and strategic sectors.

Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

-Develop and deploy innovative technologies, products and services based on satellite, airborne and ground-based remote sensing data combined with other in-situ data sources (e.g. geophysical and geological data), supporting the whole raw materials value chain, from mineral exploration to post-closure activities.;

-Improve responsible supply of raw materials to Europe in line with the EU principles for sustainable raw materials, which are a non-regulatory set of principles based on the EU acquis. They set out requirements for sustainable raw materials and extraction and processing in Europe in terms of social, environmental and economic performance.[2]

Improve knowledge on raw materials resources in Europe.

Actions are expected to contribute to the implementation the EU action plan on Critical Raw Materials.[3]

-Develop best practices and standards for innovate EO technologies, products and services for a more efficient permitting and environmental compliance processes.

Scope

Actions should develop leverage on existing Copernicus DIAS[4] or other Earth Observation platform for raw materials similar to ESA [5] platforms, and create a sustainable business model that can facilitate access to developed Earth Observation technologies, products and services to be integrated into the mining industry and public stakeholder workflows supporting any phase in the full mine life cycle.

The Earth Observation platform for Raw Materials should support the implementation of the EU’s international strategic partnerships with resource rich countries (e.g. Canada, Ukraine, Africa countries or Latin America).

Actions should increase the uptake of the Earth Observation technologies to deliver a responsible and sustainable mining industry, including mining of secondary deposits (e.g. old mine tailings).

Actions should deliver on-line processing tools, services and / or products to generate value-added raw materials information products, pre-processed optical and radar data from the Sentinel satellites and related Copernicus services of the EU Copernicus programme, as well as access to data and services from other high-resolution satellites, airborne, ground-based and in situ data.

Actions should improve mineral exploration at regional scale and target definition at local scale, exploiting European multi- and hyperspectral satellite, airborne and ground-based sensors and relevant subsurface data.

Actions should monitor the volume and rate of extraction of materials in opencast mining based on European airborne and satellites high and very high-resolution imagery.

Actions should map and monitor secondary raw materials in the Europe exploiting the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service or other EO satellites derived products.

Actions should monitor ground stability in active and/or abandoned mining areas in Europe, exploiting the European Ground Monitoring Service of Europe (Copernicus EGMS) and similar initiatives, as well as data form Sentinels and/or Copernicus Contributing Missions.

Actions should map and monitor the environmental impact of mining activities with a focus on soil, water and air pollution and their possible impacts on the socio-economic and environmental health of mining areas. Also, it should assist in remediation activities following mine closure.

Actions should develop best practices and standards for innovate EO technologies, products and services in the raw materials life cycle for a safer, efficient, responsible and sustainable mining.

Actions should envisage clustering activities with other relevant selected projects for cross-projects co-operation, consultations and joint activities on cross-cutting issues and share of results as well as participating in joint meetings and communication events. To this end proposals should foresee a dedicated work package and/or task, and earmark the appropriate resources accordingly.

Actions should facilitate the market uptake of solutions developed through industrially- and user-driven multidisciplinary consortia covering the relevant value chain and should consider standardisation aspects when relevant. The action should also include the analysis of financial opportunities ensuring the market exploitation and replication of the circular business model behind the developed solutions as new processes, products and/or services.

Proposals submitted under this topic should include a business case and exploitation strategy, as outlined in the introduction to this Destination. For TRLs 6-7, a credible strategy to achieve future full-scale deployment in the EU is expected, indicating the commitments of the industrial partners after the end of the project.

Only terrestrial activities will be considered eligible.

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and/or gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement, however, should you consider it to be of relevance for your specific proposal, you are strongly encouraged to do it.

Activities are expected to start at TRL 6 and achieve TRL 7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

[1]https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-raw-materials_en

[2]https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6d541f66-0f81-11ec-9151-01aa75ed71a1

[3]COM (2020) 474

[4]Data and Information Access Services

[5]European Space Agency

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