Partners
REMHub brings together 24 partners from five countries, each contributing unique expertise to strengthen Europe’s rare earth element (REE) value chain. From research institutions and industry leaders to technology innovators, our partners are critical in developing sustainable REE sourcing, recycling, and innovation solutions. Meet the partners driving this transformative project forward.
CLIC Innovation
CLIC Innovation is a Finnish open innovation cluster specializing in fostering collaboration in research, development, and innovation (RDI). It focuses on advancing sustainable solutions in energy systems, circular economy, and bioeconomy. As a neutral orchestrator, CLIC brings together businesses, research organizations, and public actors to accelerate the development of impactful technologies and systemic solutions.
As the project coordinator, CLIC Innovation oversees the overall management and coordination of REMHub. It leads Work Packages WP1 (Project Management), WP7 (Impact and Stakeholder Engagement), and WP8 (Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation).
Contact: merie.kannampuzha@clicinnovation.fi
University of Oulu
The University of Oulu is an international science university that creates new knowledge, well-being and innovations for the future through research and education. The University of Oulu, founded in 1958, is one of the largest and most multidisciplinary universities in Finland. The University of Oulu has eight faculties and many specialized research units.
The University of Oulu (UOulu), which is receiving over 2 million euros will share the responsibilities among three research units: Environmental and Chemical Engineering (ECE), Oulu Mining School (OMS) and Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM). The focus area for UOulu includes, innovative refining and separation technologies utilizing hybrid membrane-based technologies, novel REEs processing involving ores crushing and grinding using novel Continuously Compressing Crushers (CCC), quality assurance and risk management, KPIs monitoring strategy for hub development, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building.
Contact persons:
Doc. Dr. Nora Jullok (Nora.Jullok@oulu.fi)
Doc. Dr. Satu Pitkäaho (satu.pitkaaho@oulu.fi)
Prof. Shenghong Yang (shenghong.yang@oulu.fi)
Prof. Harri Haapasalo (harri.haapasalo@oulu.fi)
University of Helsinki
Weeefiner
Muon Solutions
Terrafame
Terrafame enhances low-carbon mobility by delivering responsibly produced battery chemicals to the global battery industry. One of the world’s largest production lines for chemicals used in electric vehicle batteries is located on Terrafame’s industrial site. The plant is capable of producing nickel sulphate for around 1 million EVs per year. The carbon footprint of the nickel sulphate produced by Terrafame is among the smallest in the industry.
Terrafame’s integrated, unique and energy-efficient production process from the mine to battery chemicals is located on a single industrial site. It provides customers with a transparent, traceable and truly European battery chemical supply chain.
Terrafame Ltd was founded in 2015. Its net sales in 2023 were EUR 560.9 million. Around 1,900 people work on its industrial site, slightly over half of whom are employees of partner companies.
We participate to the project by researching the recovery of rare earth metals from the side-streams of the mining industry as part of a research consortium.
Contact: info@terrafame.fi
PoLiMi
OPIGEO
OSAI
OSAI Automation System S.p.A. SB is an Italian SME that operates in the field of industrial automation as a system integrator. OSAI expertise focused on special processes and avant-garde solutions in niche applications from medical to semiconductors, automotive, high-tech and in the last few years Circular Economy. Concerning automation applied to re-use, recovery and recycling (e.g. dismantling approaches) OSAI develops implants or systems for such fields of applications. Each system is designed for the specific customer application and features the latest technologies. OSAI solutions for electronics, e-mobility and semiconductors, for example, includes ad hoc solutions for cutting, testing, and assembly, thus applying a scalable concept and a modular approach to machine design facing automatic and manual operation in industrial production lines both for assembly and dismantling purpose. OSAI solution for Circular Economy faced in the development of a system able to remove components from PCB boards (from WEEE) and to prepare them through selection (AI and machine learning based) and sorting techniques for the subsequent hydrometallurgical recovery of precious metals.
OSAI’s role in REMHub project comes from the nature of the company and the expertise in act as a system integrator and technology provider. Osai interact with the other partners in different field of applications, to develop test and pilot novel technologies for exploration and primary production of rare earths and recovering rare earths from side streams to enhance supply security of REEs in EU. In particular, the main role in the project consists in the application of the automation solution and robotics expertise to the scale-up of systems for physical and mechanical separation technologies of rare earths and valuable metals from waste.
Contact: info@osai-as.it; rdproject@osai-as.com
Aimen
AIMEN Technology Centre, with more than 56 years of history, is currently a national and European benchmark in research, development and technological innovation in the areas of advanced manufacturing and laser manufacturing, digital technologies for manufacturing, smart materials, smart systems and recycling; as well as in the provision of differentiating technological services to the industry in the areas of manufacturing with advanced joining technologies, robotics and process digitization, a flexible cross-engineering service highly specialised in welding, corrosion, equipment calculation, product simulation and material tests.
AIMEN will provide their knowledge in digital solution and materials science to achieve the goal of manufacture new magnets of NdFeB new and recycled powder, using additive manufacturing technologies like DED and FFF. AIMEN also contribute to the repairing of magnets using laser Adittive Manufacturing.
Contact: Marcos.diez@aimen.es
ICAMCyL
ICAMCYL is a non-profit research foundation created by the automotive, manufacturing, advanced materials, mining and processing of raw materials sectors of Castilla y León (Spain). ICAMCYL acts as the Regional Innovation Network, linked to many European municipalities and various industries. It contributes to two Strategic European Alliances and industrial platforms, related to advanced materials for batteries and mining (S3P-Industry and S3-CoP). ICAMCYL is specialized in innovation procurement: Our expertise axes extend to mineral & strategic resources, advanced raw materials & industrial technologies, energy storage, capture, storage and re-use of CO2, among others. We are actively engaged in coordination and management of projects related to life-cycle assessment, value chain design, and innovation policy and creation of ecosystems including cascade funding management, enhancing the raw materials possibilities in a sustainable context for EU. With a strong presence in the European Innovation Platform of Raw Materials (EIP Raw Materials) and key EU initiatives like MIREU (”Mining and Metallurgy regions of EU”), we contribute significantly to the fields of circular economy and raw materials processing and reuse.
ICAMCYL’s contributions to the REMHub project are centered around promoting innovation, fostering collaboration, and ensuring the sustainable development and commercialization of rare earth metal technologies. Based on our previous experiences in the PMs sector and hubs, ICAMCyL will help to foster involvement among stakeholders across the rare earth metals (REEs) value chain, enhancing public awareness, influencing policy development, and applying the Penta helix approach to engagement. Additionally, ICAMCYL will be involved in establishing a roadmap and innovation hub for commercializing and scaling REMHub technologies. This includes contribution to conducting market analysis, developing scalable business models, creating a digital platform, and increasing awareness of rare earths and their applications.
Contact: Projects(at)icamcyl.com
IMI
Founded in 2017, the Institute for Methods Innovation is a scientific, charitable and non-profit institute that delivers education and research to improve standards and quality of social scientific research, evaluation and innovation evidence for public benefit. To achieve this public benefit, we aim to advance the institutional capacities of science communication and informal learning institutions to use evidence-based methods with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for their audiences.
With registered offices in Ireland and the United States, we are advocates for using evidence-based decision-making as a catalyst for societal changes. Our deep base of experience in policy, audience and stakeholder research orients our provision of training, advice and other support designed to enable individuals and organisations to be self-sufficient in their use of social research and evaluation.
The Institute for Methods Innovation leads WP6: Stakeholder engagement and tasks related to ethical good practices, data management, impact planning, policy impact and public engagement.
Contact: oliver@methodsinnovation.org
University of Ljubljana
Magneti Ljubljana
Magneti Ljubljana is a European manufacturer of permanent metallic magnets, bonded magnets and magnetic systems with a long-lasting tradition, since 1951.
We will focus on producing sintered magnets using current powder metallurgy techniques to prove that recycled REEs have the same quality and purity as virgin metals and that these magnets can be used in variety of applications.
Contact: matej.zaplotnik@magneti.si, edin.miljkovic@magneti.si
Domel
Cinkarna Celje
With a tradition of more than 150 years of uninterrupted operations, Cinkarna Celje, d.d. is today a modern Slovenian chemical processing company that operates in accordance with state-of-the-art techniques and environmental standards. By consistently implementing its sustainable development strategy, the company continually endeavors to improve in all areas of operation, seeking innovative solutions. With approximately 800 employees, the company generates around €200 million in annual turnover, with more than 90% of sales coming from export markets. The company’s activities focus on producing and marketing titanium dioxide, complemented by a wide range of other products such as powder coatings, masterbatches, agrichemicals, chemical processing equipment, and sulphuric acid.
In the REMHub project Cinkarna Celje, d. d. is a contributor to WP3, participating in task 2: Utilization of waste streams from various industries for REE recovery, which is led by Weefiner. The task aims to develop high TRL methods for industrial REE recovery processes from waste streams. As such, Cinkarna Celje, d. d. is developing a method for recovering iron in the form of iron (II) oxalate and scandium in the form of scandium (III) oxide. Iron (II) oxalate can be a source of iron for the production of neodymium permanent magnets and scandium (III) oxide can improve the performance of high-end magnets by enhancing thermal stability, corrosion resistance, and strength in specific applications.
Contact: domen.slemensek@cinkarna.si and pavel.blagotinsek@cinkarna.si
GTK
RarEarth
HaikiCobat
TalTech
JUNG
ECOCastulum
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Bambra
BiotaTec
