Financing, Regulation and Innovation: Addressing the Challenges of Strategic Raw Materials at Mining and Minerals Hall 2026

Industrial project financing, regulatory challenges and the social acceptance of mining activities are key factors in strengthening the competitiveness of Europe's strategic raw materials value chain. These issues were at the heart of the IRMHUB Policy Observatory: Funding & Financing Workshop for Strategic Raw Materials Innovation, organised by Fundación ICAMCyL on 22 October as part of the Mining and Minerals Hall (MMH) 2026, held in Seville from 20 to 22 October.

Held in a hybrid format as part of the European project IRMHUB.i3, the event brought together representatives from public organisations, technology centres, specialist bodies and companies to explore how to bring strategic raw materials innovation to market and translate it into industrial applications.

MMH 2026: A Meeting Point for the Future of European Mining

The Mining and Minerals Hall (MMH) held its sixth edition in Seville under the theme “Mining: A Strategic Pillar for Europe's Future.” The event brought together professionals, companies, institutions and research organisations to discuss the role of mining and raw materials in strategic autonomy, industrial transition and European economic development.

According to figures released by the organisers, the 2026 edition welcomed approximately 18,000 visitors, featured 332 exhibitors and covered a commercial exhibition area of 8,548 m². Its estimated economic impact reached €9.5 million, a 35% increase compared with the 2024 edition.

Against this backdrop, Fundación ICAMCyL took part in the event to connect with industry stakeholders and contribute to the European dialogue on the challenges affecting the development of innovative strategic raw materials projects.

Financing and Regulation: Key to Bringing Innovation into Industry

The workshop organised by Fundación ICAMCyL as part of IRMHUB.i3 focused on a fundamental question for the sector: how can research and innovation outcomes be turned into viable, financeable and scalable industrial projects?

Developing new technologies for the exploration, extraction, processing and recovery of raw materials requires not only technical advances, but also appropriate regulatory frameworks, interregional collaboration and access to financing instruments capable of supporting projects from their early stages through to industrial deployment.

Through presentations and discussion sessions, participants examined the barriers hindering this process and the opportunities to strengthen cooperation between regional innovation ecosystems.

Public Policies, Regulation and Social Acceptance

One of the key themes of the workshop was the role of public policies and regulatory frameworks in the development of strategic raw materials projects. Coordination between public authorities, companies and innovation organisations is important to address barriers that may delay the launch of new industrial initiatives.

The workshop also addressed the social acceptance of mining projects, the social licence to operate and environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. These are among the challenges facing the sector as it seeks to develop responsible activities and build trust among different stakeholders.

Financing Instruments and Industrial Deployment

Access to finance is another decisive factor in turning innovation into industrial activity. Discussions explored the difficulties projects face in progressing from validated prototypes to commercialisation and deployment at industrial scale.

The debate highlighted the need to align European financing instruments with the real needs of companies and innovative projects, particularly those requiring substantial investment to demonstrate their viability and reach commercial scale.

The importance of interregional cooperation was also emphasised as a way to identify opportunities, share capabilities and enable solutions developed in one region to create value in other European markets.

IRMHUB.i3: Interregional Cooperation to Drive Strategic Raw Materials Innovation

The workshop is part of IRMHUB.i3, a European initiative aimed at strengthening collaboration between regional innovation ecosystems working on strategic raw materials and facilitating the development of solutions with industrial application potential.

The project promotes connections between companies, technology centres, institutions and other stakeholders to identify cooperation opportunities, improve access to financing and support the transfer of knowledge to the market.

The event at MMH 2026 provided an opportunity to share experiences and perspectives on the barriers facing innovative projects and the opportunities to develop a more connected, resilient and competitive strategic raw materials value chain.