ISMC projects' platform was launched last October to promote new investments and innovation

Last Tuesday, October 8 the ISMC members came together at the Technological Park in León to launch a new platform dedicated to promoting new innovation projects and technological services for the sustainable mining value chain. Néstor Coronado, Business Development Director of EIT RawMaterials, was invited to the event, as representative of one of the main European institutions in the field of raw materials and mining. ISMC plans to engage in several innovation, training and entrepreneurship projects with this institution in the short term.

In the last few months, the different work groups of the Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC) have been drafting the main lines of research and topics in which the cluster industrial members are more interested. With this event, all these interests come together and configure the future collaborations and common projects of the cluster.

The projects’ platform will contribute to advance in the cluster objective of boosting competitiveness and sustainable growth among its members. Special guests in this event were Nestor Coronado, Business Development Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for Raw Materials (EIT RawMaterials), Sergio Torres, Sales Manager and blockchain specialist at the blockchain technology company SIGNE_Block, and Juan Suárez, GMV Business Development Director.

The EIT RawMaterials representative talked about current business opportunities in Europe in the field of mining and raw materials, including projects promoted by the EIT itself under the so-called Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC). These communities bring together key stakeholders such as SMEs, large companies, public and private investors, technology centres, universities and governments to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship around various priority topics, including raw materials.

The cluster managing board will ensure that all the resources needed will be mobilized so that ISMC members become part of these Knowledge and Innovation Communities, particularly promoting the participation of SMEs in the key forums of the European ecosystem. The event was an excellent opportunity to share the main needs, challenges and technologies at stake and the strategy to materialise these ideas in concrete short-term projects.

The invited companies, SIGNE_Block, expert in integral digital solutions for the industry based on blockchain technology, and GMV, a leading business group in technological and engineering solutions for sectors as diverse as aeronautics, finance and defence, will also contribute to set up many of these future projects. Both companies showcased their technological services and the opportunities these services entail for the entire mining and raw materials value chains.

The event was key to promote multidisciplinary collaboration and cooperation between ISMC members, as well as with important European actors and entities through the EIT RawMaterials and KIC Communities. Santiago Cuesta, ISMC general director, pointed out the relevance of this day for the objectives of the cluster: “The cluster's project platform will have an essential role in the development of new technological and innovation capabilities for the ISMC companies, specially for SMEs in the sector. Our solid international presence will be key to position the cluster members among the most important European networks on mining and raw materials.”