The main objetive of the project is to generate a network of scientific-technological and R&D knowledge about the development of metal mining capacities in the borders of the three participating regions (North, Central Portugal and Castilla y León). This will allow the development of regional and joint activities from projects and initiatives of high added value in different R&D subjects.
Some of these activities will be exploration, exploitation and processing technologies, materials science, industrial and monitoring technologies and environmental and energy technologies. These activities will permit not only the generation of strategic projects but the training of scientific-technical professional profiles and the creation of high qualified employment in the participant regions.
Other specific objectives are::
Study and valuation of 100% current and future mining potential in the territory under consideration, with a specific evaluation of the potential for production of high value added by-products, rare earths, and possible technological lines to carry out the exploitation and exploitation of these deposits.
Generation of a network of advanced exploration, exploitation, processing and materials science technologies involving 90% of the regional actors working on strategic and strategic metal mining, which would allow improvement in some of these processes and the implementation of technological transfer activities towards companies and mining operations, currently disconnected from the technological environment.
The network will initiate public and social information and awareness actions, with the aim of informing the different sectors of society of the potential of metal mining in the target regions and of the new low impact technologies that will enable the sustainable exploitation of these economic resources.
Development of at least 4 specific environmental and energy technology activities that will allow the improvement not only of the development of environmental and energy actions in mining operations, but also of facilitating decision-making in this field from the beginning of the activity of mining planning, during its development, and in the remediation processes of the mines after their exploitation.