Best wishes to everyone from the La Palma Research Centre team

/in /by
🇬🇧 La Palma Research Centre team wishes you a very merrychristmas and happy new year full of collaborations, accepted proposals, shared beers after events and face to face kick-offs. We would not be who we are without our colleagues and collaborators and that’s why we are so grateful to have you all in our lives. Season Greetings to all!
🇪🇸 El equipo de La Palma Research Centre quiere desearles a todo una Feliznavidad y un próspero año nuevo lleno de colaboraciones, de propuestas aceptadas, de cervecitas después de los congresos y de kick-offs donde podamos vernos las caras. No seríamos quienes somos sin nuestros colegas y colaboradores y por eso estamos tan agradecidos de tenerlos a todos en nuestra vida. ¡Felices Fiestas!
La Palma Research Centre

FluidNET final training event in La Palma (November 2023)

/in , /by

During the last week of November, the FluidNET (Fluids driving the evolution of the continental crust: influence of pathway networks, fluxes, and time scales) Marie Skłodowska-Curie ITN project team visited La Palma to host the final training event for the 12 early-stage researchers involved in the project. 

During the one-week training, the early-stage researchers received advice, among other things, on career pathways available after concluding their PhD, funding opportunities in science and industry, and tips and hints on how to apply to research and industry positions. The programme also included two field visits, one to the Laurisilva forest and the other to the Tajogaite volcano. 

LPRC contributed to the training sessions, provided logistical assistance, and helped organizing the field trip to Tajogaite (in collaboration with GeoTenerife). 

We hope they enjoyed their stay on the island as much as we enjoyed supporting the organizing team! We wish good last months to the project and the best of luck to the 12 early-stage researchers in finishing their PhDs and navigating to the next steps in their careers!

La Palma offers a lot of possibilities for celebrating training events, workshops, and team retreats and LPRC can help your organization to make the most of your stay.

La Palma Research Centre

LPRC gives RaVeN students the “Business training and general trends in the raw materials value chain” course

/in , /by

Last week the LPRC team went to Krakow, Poland, to provide a course for the  EIT-Labelled RaVeN Master’s at AGH University of Science and Technology. The course, which was provided during the 20 and 21 November, was entitled “Business training and general trends in the raw materials value chain”.

During the two days of the course, students listened to lectures and took part in seminars that provided fundamental knowledge and practical skills that young entrepreneurs and innovators must possess. Students also obtained knowledge on future trends and scenarios of the raw materials value chain, allowing them to scan and think ahead for innovative solutions.

To complement their theoretical learning, the MSc students implemented their gained knowledge on practical exercises, drafting lean canvases, outlining business plans and giving their first business pitches based on their own business ideas.

The LPRC team enjoyed the experience and would like to wish all the best to the RaVeN – Raw Materials Value Chain Master’s course!

La Palma Research Centre

LPRC’s projects at the EU SuperCluster Lapland Geoconference

/in , /by

LPRC participated in the EU’s Supercluster Lapland Geoconference representing the TRIDENT project, seeking to create synergies and future collaborations among other raw materials related projects. The project was presented in the “New Frontiers For Exploration” session, in which the coordinator explained the innovative approach of the project addressing knowledge gaps and uncertainties regarding the environmental and social impacts of deep-sea mining. LPRC also prepared a poster to draw attention from projects dealing with similar goals and build future clustering opportunities.

CIRAN co-organized and actively participated in the EU SuperCluster Lapland Geoconference, which took place on 30 and 31 October. This event served as a dynamic stage for the CIRAN project, allowing CIRAN’s partners to interact with industry experts, environmental advocates and fellow innovators. The SuperCluster meeting went beyond a simple meeting and became a hub for knowledge sharing, collaboration and inspiration. Together with 11 other EU-funded projects – EIS, AGEMERA, GOLDENEYE, GREENPEG, SEMACRET, M4MINING, MaDiTraCe, MinExTarget, MultiMiner and SEMACRET.

Besides TRIDENT and CIRAN, three other projects in which LPRC is involved were presented: CRM-Geothermal, ROBOMINERS, and START. In total, the conference was the biggest EU’s clustering event on raw materials, gathering up to 23 different EU-funded projects, with 142 registered participants coming from 52 countries and representing 69 expert organisations.

The EU SuperCluster Lapland Geoconference stands out as a platform that promotes synergies between projects in the raw materials sector. This collaborative environment allowed us to delve into the challenges and latest developments within the industry. At the heart of the conference was an atmosphere of cooperation.

Credit: SLB website (https://www.slb.com/)

LPRC is helping to organise a FluidNET workshop

/in /by
La Palma Research Centre is providing local support to the organization of a series of training workshops that the FLUIDNET project will celebrate in La Palma between the 19th and the 24th November 2023.
The goal of this training event is to provide the FluidNET early stage researchers tools for their careers both on the academic and industry fields, including the preparation of CVs, cover letters and job interviews, as well as testimonies and guidance from industry and academy. The event will also include two field trips to discover the geology of La Palma and, in particular, the new Tajogaite volcano.

SuperCluster Lapland Geoconference, Rovaniemi, Finland (30 & 31 October 2023)

/in /by

The SuperCluster Lapland Geoconference will take place on the 30th and 31st Octobre 2023 in Rovaniemi, Finland. This clustering event represents a significant effort to address the EU’s dependency on critical raw materials and promote self-sufficiency in mineral supply value chain. Some of the key points about the event are:

  • Dependency on Critical Raw Materials. The EU relies heavily on a limited number of countries for critical raw materials, which are essential for strategic industries like e-mobility, batteries, and renewable energy.
  • Opportunity for Self-Sufficiency. Europe has the potential to become self-sufficient, resilient, sustainable, and responsible in its supply of critical minerals due to its geological resources and significant mineral endowment.
  • Multi-Element Mining. Critical raw materials are often obtained as by-products from primary commodity mines. Transitioning to a multi-element mining approach is necessary, requiring new exploration methods and concepts.
  • EU-Funded Projects. Thirteen EU-funded raw materials projects and the University of Queensland (Australia) are collaborating to organize the European Union SuperCluster Lapland Geoconference. These projects focus on research and development in the raw materials sector.

The main objective is to bring together a diverse range of stakeholders, including the European Commission, EU projects, regional authorities, industrial representatives, exploration companies, and other interested parties in order to discuss technological challenges and topics related to the raw materials sector.

This initiative represents a crucial step in addressing the EU’s raw materials challenges and fostering cooperation among stakeholders to enhance the region’s self-sufficiency in critical minerals. It provides a platform for sharing ideas and innovations in raw materials exploration and supply.

Event Structure and schedule:

The event will include 20-minute oral sessions, poster presentations, and dedicated discussion time to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration. There are no planned keynote talks, as the focus is on hearing from as many EU-funded project participants as possible.

Oral presentations are divided into five sessions between October 30th and 31st:

  • Session 1: Innovative mineral exploration: 30th at 10.15 – 12.00
  • Session 2: Earth observation in exploration and mining: 30th at 13.15 – 15.00
  • Session 3: Environmental, Social and Governance in exploration and mining: 30th at 15.30 – 17.30
  • Session 4: Critical Raw Materials supply: 31st at 08.30 – 10.00
  • Session 5: New frontiers for exploration: 31st at 10.30 – 11.45

This event will be the biggest clustering event for the EU-funded raw materials-related projects and other projects ever. Around 130-140 people will attend, representing 28 projects. LPRC will participate representing 5 of those projects: CIRAN, CRM-Geothermal, ROBOMINERS, START and TRIDENT.

 

EMPORIA4KT Final Event, Gran Canaria, Spain (21st and 22nd June 2023)

/in /by

The EMPORIA4KT project, funded by the INTERREG Atlantic Area programme, held its final event in Gran Canaria, Spain on June 21st and 22nd, 2023, organised and hosted by La Palma Research Centre. This event, titled Fostering Innovation through the Blue Economy: from the Canary Islands to the Atlantic Area perspective, counted with almost 100 participants.

Over the two days, the EMPORIA4KT event sought to highlight the project’s key outputs, summarise how the EMPORIA4KT methodology has been applied to the Canary Island case study, provide a platform for the final sales pitch of the Canary Islands’ Blue Economy Technology Transfer programme and explore ideas for carrying on the legacy of the project through follow-on actions, initiatives and collaboration.

The two days featured many interactive sessions that aimed to foster a debate regarding the application of EMPORIA4KT methodologies and findings to the advancement of innovation practices for overcoming challenges and meeting opportunities in the Blue Economy. The success of the event was elevated by the invited speakers, representing a variety of Blue Economy stakeholder sectors, who provided their unique insights through two roundtables.

Another important part of this event was the conclusion of the second iteration of the EMPORIA4KT Blue Economy Technology Transfer (BETT) programme. The audience first heard testimonies from former researchers of the programme Júlia Terra, Ken Russell and Sergio Santorio, and later Rozenn Le Vaillant, TQC, hosted an interview session with developers of early-stage technologies Alain Dinis, Ocean Streamer/Virtual Dive, Alexandre Paiva, NOVA and Ana Armanda Bras, LJMU. Three teams from the Canary Islands’ BETT programme presented their ideas:

  • Floating Bubble Hotel – Joselin S. Rodríguez-Alcántara (ULL) & Chaitanya Suárez Rojas (ULPGC)
  • Fast and Fishious! – Inma Herrera (ULPGC), Ángel Rivero Falcón (ITC) & Yolanda M. Lemes (AU)
  • Use of Metabolites from Marine Algae for Anti-Parasitic Treatments – Tasnim Allaoui Dahlou (ITC) & Oliver Soliveres Acuyo (ITC)

After the event, the project partners were taken on a tour of key research infrastructures feeding into the Canarian Blue Economy, the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN), the aquaculture research centre of the University of Las Palmas Gran Canaria (ULPGC) and the Spanish Bank of Algae (BEA).

As the project coordinator Aneesh Zutshi noted in his concluding remarks, throughout the two-day event, it was clear that the EMPORIA4KT programme has delivered on its goal of developing new knowledge transfer tools and methods for promoting research innovation in the Atlantic Area Blue Economy. Furthermore, there was recognition among all the participants in attendance that even as the project concludes, there are plenty of opportunities for future collaboration and networking to build on the foundation that has been laid by this highly successful project.

The project might be over, but work will continue! Follow and engage with the project via the website, LinkedIn group and Twitter account.

PNO

FIREFLY Online Consortium Meeting (June 2023)

/in /by

After the FIREFLY Kick-off meeting back in January 2023, the FIREFLY team got together online to discuss the mid-year status of the different project tasks. The 16 partners joined online on the 19th and 20th of June to present and discuss the 9 Work Packages that range from technical to administrative topics. La Palma Research Centre as leader of WP2 was represented with two members.

The FIREFLY project aims to electrify a large part of the chemicals value chain in a sustainable way (environmental, economic and social): power-to-catalyst and chemicals fostered via electrochemical catalyst recycling.

Work Package 2 – Supply of waste catalyst and mapping of relevant resources, which is led by LPRC, has two main tasks: 1) Detailed characterization, supply and pre-conditioning of samples  and 2) Material flow analysis and GIS inventory of relevant resources. LPRC is also the leader of Task 2.2. The presentation of WP2 focused on non-technical (risks, milestones, reports) and technical aspects of the work done. As part of the technical aspects, the presentation covered the selection and characterisation of catalyst samples and the Material Flow Analysis for the catalyst-related resources (metals).

LPRC will now continue its work on Task 2.2 with the development and implementation of the Material Flow Analysis for the selected elements (including gold, silver and other metals) and on the creation of Geographical Information System to map the identified catalyst-related resources.

La Palma Research Centre

CRM-Geothermal 1st Progress Meeting, Falmouth, UK (June 2023)

/in /by

The recent CRM-Geothermal event brought together consortium members in Falmouth, UK, to conduct the 1st Progress Meeting of the project, from 13 to 15 June 2023.

The agenda included Work Package presentations, strategic breakout sessions to discuss several topics, pilot site visits, and a remarkable geological field trip in Cornwall:

  • Experts presented the achievements and future plans of various Work Packages, providing insights into research advancements and exciting prospects.
  • Partners engaged in productive discussions during breakout sessions, aligning thoughts and developing coordinated plans to address challenges and leverage collective expertise.
  • Pilot site visit led by Geothermal Engineering Ltd and Cornish Lithium, showcasing the local potential for research in a pilot plant.
  • A geological field trip in Cornwall that revealed valuable observations, including granite-sediment contact, mineralization processes (Cu & Sn), and fracture zones, enhancing understanding of the geological features in the region.

In this opportunity, LPRC took part in the presentations related to Work Package 6 on communication and dissemination of CRM-geothermal. LPRC leads Task 6.6 – Clustering, in which it was highlighted the recent efforts to cluster with projects with common topics and challenges, fostering collaboration and accelerating progress.

La Palma Research Centre

Futures Conference 2023 – Empowering Futures, 14-16 June 2023, Turku, Finland

/in , /by

The La Palma Research Centre team joined a community of futures academics and researchers in Turku, Finland, for the Futures Conference 2023, entitled “Empowering Futures – Long-term Governance, Democracy and Futures Research”. This edition was dedicated to discussions on the use of foresight and futures thinking to drive future aspects of our world, especially on ESG topics – Environmental, Social and Governance.

LPRC submitted an abstract (see page 13) based on the foresight and strategic work done for the ROBOMINERS project and it was granted a presentation slot on the 14th June 2023 for the session “Foresight and Futures Research for Sustainable Transitions”, where there were around 20 people attending. The title of the LPRC presentation was “Application of Foresight Tools in Research of a Low-Impact Mining Ecosystem” and intended to show to the session participants the work done towards the creation and development of a future strategic plan for further development of the ROBOMINERS technology for the years 2030 and 2050, based on a series of foresight methodologies: Horizon Scanning, Focus Groups, Delphi Survey, Visioning, Preparation for Pilots and Roadmapping. The presentation was well received and got a few questions regarding the methodology and the results of these exercises.

For the remaining of the conference, the LPRC team attended other sessions and presentations to learn more about the implementation of foresight methodologies and engaged in discussions and networking with the other participants.

This was a fruitful experience by the LPRC team, following a previous participation in 2019 to present the results of the implementation of foresight methodologies on the CHPM 2030 project. Hopefully, we will be back to the Futures Conference in the upcoming years to present the results from other projects.