Proposal for a new Swedish research center for innovation-critical metals and minerals
Press release from Luleå University of Technology
In a new investigation on behalf of the government, it is proposed to build a Swedish research center for innovation-critical metals and minerals at Luleå University of Technology. The focus is on primary and secondary extraction and enrichment of metals and minerals and with the task of also working with knowledge dissemination.
“A natural place for this research center is Luleå University of Technology, which already conducts a lot of mining-related research today. Luleå is also home to the research institute Swerim and the mining companies LKAB, Talga and Northvolt,” says Pär Weihed, Professor in Ore Geology and Pro Vice-Chancellor at Luleå University of Technology.
This research center should be seen as a complement to an earlier investigation proposal on a national center for a sustainable supply of innovation-critical metals and minerals .
Research on a broad front
The investigation suggests that a deeper focus should be on understanding how innovation-critical metals and minerals occur and appear in the bedrock and during extraction, as well as how they can be enriched into products. A research center enables research on a broad front, focusing on a variety of metals and minerals that are innovation-critical for society today but also on those that are predicted to become innovation-critical in the near future. In this way, an anticipation of technological development is created.
“We can never achieve that foresight through company-funded research alone,” says Pär Weihed.
The investigation raises competitiveness
The research center is expected to provide basic knowledge needed for the metal and mineral industry to be competitive in terms of extraction and processing of innovation-critical metals and minerals . The previously proposed national center for a sustainable supply of innovation-critical metals and minerals , on the other hand, is primarily aimed at the manufacturing industry, i.e. the customers of the metal and mineral industry.
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What are innovation-critical metals and minerals?
The so-called innovation-critical metals and minerals are materials today much needed for the development of renewable power sources (wind and solar power), energy storage (batteries), and hi-tech products (computers and cell phones). These metals and minerals include e.g. indium, cobalt, the rare earth elements and graphite. An absolute majority of these materials are produced outside the EU, and the EC has issued warnings that a lack of these materials may hamper the development in green technology and stall the switchover to fossil-free energy sources.
SGU
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A secure supply of metals and minerals
Government SOU 2022:56 Published 31 October 2022
Pär Weihed, Professor, Pro Vice-Chancellor
Phone: +46 (0)920 493987
Email: [email protected]
Organisation: Ore Geology, Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering
Originally published on 9 November
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