About MINE.THE.GAP
The MINE.THE.GAP project ran from 2020-2023. It brought together SMEs from the raw materials and mining sector with companies that had solutions for a more digital, greener, and circular mining value chain. Through open calls and support services, MINE.THE.GAP made business ideas a reality.
Raw materials are the basis of most industrial value chains. This is especially true for the industrial and metallic mining, construction, and related sectors. These industries are very important for our industrial, social, and technological progress in the European Union. A viable and responsible minerals and metals mining provides essential assets to our society’s sustainable development, and helps us to promote innovation, growth, and a low-carbon, more circular economy.
The raw materials and mining sectors must undergo deep changes to adapt to current trends and technologies. Industrial modernisation and digitisation are not only keywords for big companies, but also for SMEs. However, in day to day business, small and medium enterprises might find it more difficult to invest in a greener and more digital future.
The idea: Bringing providers and adopters together
Collaborations with emerging industries can help SMEs in the raw materials and mining sectors create new value chains and integrate novel materials, techniques, and processes into their ecosystem. By cooperating with other enterprises that offer solutions related to circular economy, resource efficiency, advanced manufacturing, and/or ICT, they can boost their capabilities, competitiveness, and growth. At the same time, technology “providers” can benefit from new cross-sectoral approaches and ideas. The SMEs can integrate their solutions into new sectors and amplify their portfolios.
Therefore, MINE.THE.GAP brought together technology providers and businesses in the mining industry to create new and improved value chains. Through MINE.THE.GAP, European SMEs entered new collaborations to develop products, technologies, solutions, and services for the raw materials and mining sectors.
MINE.THE.GAP provided direct financial support to SMEs through innovation vouchers. For these vouchers, there were two competitive calls for strategic plan preparation, validation of ideas, proof of concept and demonstration activities. The expected TRLs for activities funded under the calls lied between TRL6-7 for proof-of-concept projects and TRL7-8 for demo activities.
The voucher “MINE-PoC” aims to fund projects for the design and implementation of a prototype/proof-of-concept to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed solution. This voucher has to address at least one of the top 10 challenges and needs of the raw materials and mining value chain while focusing on at least one of the “Key Actions” to be funded.
What was in it for the SMEs? These are the quick facts:
- Achievable funding per SME: 25,000 EUR
- Expected TRLs for projects funded under this call: TRL 6-7
- Type of financial support: lump sum
- Project duration: up to 9 months
The voucher “MINE-Demo” will fund projects for developing and testing in a production environment of a simple functional demo/pilot with all the major features of the product/service/solution. This voucher has to address at least one of the top 10 challenges and needs of the raw materials and mining value chain while focusing on at least one of the “Key Actions” to be funded.
What was in it for the SMEs? These are the quick facts:
- Achievable funding per SME: 50,000 EUR
- Expected TRLs for projects funded under this call: TRL 7-8
- Type of financial support: lump sum
- Project duration: up to 12 months
MINE.THE.GAP offered business support services for the selected projects to enhance innovation capacities, promote technology transfer and commercialisation, and boost internationalisation. These services supported the creation of new businesses opportunities for European SMEs.
They included:
- Technology surveillance
- Technology transfer
- Competitions and awards
- Commercialisation
- Training workshops
- Mentoring and coaching
- Matchmaking
- Incubation and acceleration support for IPR
- Brockerage events
- Mobility and exchange programmes
Part of the Business Hub Services were the MOOCs for the Mining and Raw Materials professionals. They remain openly available!
The projects funded under MINE.THE.GAP proposed solutions to make the mining and raw material value chain more sustainable and digital.
What did they do?
Read about the outcome of the call in 2021: Results of the 1st Open Call.
Read about the outcome of the call in 2022: Results of the 2nd Open Call.
MINE.THE.GAP was coordinated by ICAMCyL (Spain), a key European player and competence centre in raw materials and advanced materials sectors. ICAMCyL is currently manager of the Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC-IBERIAMINE).
The consortium counted with partners from the raw material and mining sectors. ASSIMAGRA, the Portuguese Association for Mineral Resources, and the Portuguese cluster for Mineral Resources (ACPMR), brought their special expertise in mining and materials into the consortiums and to the SMEs.
GKZ (Germany), DIGIPOLIS (Finland), IDiA (Spain), AXELERA (France), WMCR (Poland), METAINDUSTRY4 (Spain) and SREDNOGORIE (Bulgaria) were partners from the ICT, advanced manufacturing, circular economy, and resource efficiency sectors. They are experts in digital solutions and count with experiences in a broad range of digitalisation projects.
All the consortium members were facilitators to promote and secure access for the SMEs to the funding available through the calls. They supported SMEs in the preparation and submission of relevant proposals to the open calls, and offered business services, access to investments and follow-ups to the awarded SMEs.