Critical Raw Materials (CRM) are essential for EU’s energy and digital transition, as part of green technologies materials — including wind turbines, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, and more. In response to the need to accelerate the green transition and boost the EU’s competitiveness in the CRM mining sector, the European Sustainable Mining and Innovation Network (ESMIN) has published a policy brief offering recommendations to speed up the implementation of the objectives set by the EU’s Critical Raw Material Act (CRMA) through technological innovations.
Under the HORIZON Europe funding, several projects are working toward achieving the goals set by the CRMA, developing Earth Observation (EO) and Machine Learning (ML) innovations, and contributing to EU’s competitiveness. The development and deployment of EO and ML technologies are limited by institutional barriers and their limited acceptance in mining research.
Through this document, ESMIN aims to offer certain recommendations to facilitate the implementation of these techniques and establish them as reliable within the field of mining research. EO- and ML-innovations are technically mature, but underused due to these barriers, inconsistencies in regulations, and the lack of knowledge among end-users. It seems essential to increase awareness of these technologies among institutions, harmonize regulations governing their use, and promote their recognition as a key technology to accelerate EU’s energy and digital transition, while addressing sustainable and social concerns.
This policy briefs was prepared by the MultiMiner project and with the contributions of the ESMIN Network Members – GoldenRAM, MOSMIN, AGEMERA, M4MINING and MINEYE projects.
As Europe advances towards climate neutrality, critical minerals remain essential for clean technologies, digitalisation, and industrial resilience. Yet mining projects often raise significant environmental and societal concerns. The debate is no longer only whether to mine, but under which conditions and with whose participation.
This event will bring together policymakers, industry, civil society, community representatives, and researchers to discuss Social License to Operate (SLO), community engagement, and pathways towards shared solutions.
The programme will combine global, European, and Finnish perspectives, concluding with key takeaways for a just and responsible energy transition. Participation is by invitation only and places are limited. The full programme will be published once speakers are confirmed.
