EU project for better transformation of mining regions in Lower Silesia

On 6 October, the first stakeholder meeting within the European Mining Regions Innovation Ecosystems supporting Circularity and Resource Efficiency (EMRIE) project was held at Wrocław University of Science and Technology. The event was attended by Dagmara Solatycka, Deputy Director of the District Mining Office in Wrocław.

The meeting brought together representatives of public administration, the scientific community, the raw materials sector, and organisations involved in the transformation of mining regions in Lower Silesia. The programme included a discussion of the EMRIE project’s objectives, highlighting the role of universities in research and training for the raw materials sector, as well as the tasks of the project’s stakeholders and possible directions for regional cooperation. In addition, the objectives of the Critical Raw Materials Act were discussed. The participants also emphasised the need for close cooperation between state authorities, local governments, research centres, and businesses to ensure the sustainable development of the raw materials sector and to support innovative solutions facilitating the transformation of mining regions in Lower Silesia.

The meeting marked the first stage of the so-called EMRIE journey - a process of experience sharing, analysis, and joint activities which, in the coming years, will contribute to the development of new or updated regional strategies for Lower Silesia in the area of resource management and the implementation of circular economy principles.

The EMRIE project, funded by the Interreg Europe programme, aims to support the development of innovation ecosystems in European mining regions. It is led by the Commission for Regional Development and Coordination of Alentejo (Portugal), and its partners include:

• Marshal’s Office of the Lower Silesian Province (Poland),
• Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Poland),
• Cluster Portugal Mineral Resources Association (Portugal),
• General Secretariat for Energy, Regional Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines, Regional Government of Andalusia (Spain),
• Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (Spain),
• Regional Council of Kainuu (Finland),
• Örebro University (Sweden),
• Dnipro University of Technology (Ukraine),
• National Technical University of Athens (Greece),
• Regional Development Agency of Lviv Region (Ukraine).