Earth observation technologies for the mining life cycle in support of EU autonomy and transition to a climate-neutral economy (RIA)
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Actions should develop and innovate new methods to analyse Earth Observation data, enabling systematic mineral exploration and continuous monitoring of extraction, closure and post closure activities. These developments and innovations should be built upon Copernicus satellite constellations, and/or European national and commercial satellite missions, including, e.g. COSMO-Skymed, EnMAP, PRISMA, TerraSAR-X, airborne and low-altitude platforms, ground based remote sensing, also including conventional in situ techniques, methods and field work measurements.
Detailed Call Description
Actions targeting mineral exploration should develop EO methods that exploit multispectral, hyperspectral, SAR and in situ data permitting to systematically revise and update pre-existing maps and datasets identifying new mineral deposits at various scales, from mining regions to specific mining projects.
Actions targeting monitoring of extraction, closure and post closure activities should develop EO methods that exploit radar, optical and in situ data to innovate products and services: a) early warning systems and platforms that reduce operation risks; b) multi-sensor and multi-platform environmental monitoring systems that reduce the impacts on human health and preserve ecosystems.
Foreseen outputs of this action could be, but not limited to, new methods to exploit EO data permitting to generate the following results at various scales, from mining regions to specific mining projects.
For mineral exploration and mining monitoring:
- improved maps and techniques to map potential target areas of critical raw materials
- improved maps of mining waste deposits
- improved seabed mineral mapping by exploring the connection between sea shore and coastal areas
- Ground instability maps
- improved maps of mining waste deposits
- Mineral stockpile volume estimation
- Acid mine drainage maps
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
EU contribution per project: €4,50 million
Thematic Categories
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
Eligibility For Participation Notes
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
In order to achieve the expected outcomes, and safeguard the Union’s strategic assets, interests, autonomy, or security, namely to increase EU resilience in raw materials supply chains for EU industrial value chains and strategic sectors to enable their green and digital transition and to reduce current EU over-dependence on a few third countries for critical raw materials by increasing sustainable and responsible sourcing of primary and secondary raw materials and by using technological solutions to improve supply chain data transparency and traceability, participation to the topic is limited to:
- Legal entities established in Member States, associated countries, OECD countries, African Union Countries, and MERCOSUR, CARIFORUM, and Andean Community.
- Proposals including legal entities which are not established in these countries will be ineligible. The above exception is aligned with the Communication (2020) 474 on Critical Raw Materials Resilience, on the need to develop strategic international partnerships on raw materials.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou Street, 1075 Nicosia
T.Th. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
+357 22205000
Email: support@research.org.cy
Dr Angelos Ntantos
Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205033
Email: antantos@research.org.cy
Dr Ioannis Theodorou
Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205038
Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy
(Publish Date: 01/12/2021-for internal use only)
EU Contact Point
Εuropean Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact