ERA-MIN3 comprises a progressive, pan-European public-public partnership of 25 public research funding organisations from 19 European countries/regions and 3 third countries, which aims to continue strengthening the mineral raw materials (RM) community through the coordination of research and innovation (R&I) programmes on non-energy, non-agricultural raw materials (metallic, construction, and industrial minerals). ERA-MIN3 will thus contribute to the objectives of the EIP on Raw Material’s Strategic Implementation Plan and the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, in support of the EU Raw Materials Initiative, the UN sustainable development goals and the European Green Deal. Built on the successes of the previous ERA-MIN and ERA-MIN 2, and to ensure the EU’s resource security and sustainable supply of strategic RM to the European society, ERA-MIN3 will achieve its goals of improving synergy, coordination and coherence between regional, national and EU funding in the RM sector by reducing fragmentation of RM funding across Europe and globally, as well as, improving the use of human and financial resources, the competitiveness and the environmental, social, health and safety issues of RM operations through supporting of transnational, excellent and translational R&I activities. This will be achieved through a EU co-funded joint transnational call for R&I proposals and, at least, one additional call with participation of invited partners, on demand-driven R&I on primary and secondary resources, covering the entire value chain, from exploration, extraction and processing technologies to recycling and substitution of CRM, as well as, environmental and societal impact, new business models and/or public perception. ERA-MIN3 will liaison with RM related initiatives to ensure alignment of research topics (e.g. batteries), promote synergies and complementarities thus avoiding duplication of efforts and contributing for the circular economy and the sustainable development.

WHO: The proposal involves 40 National Funding Authorities and/or Agencies under the Umbrella of Eureka and is coordinated by the Eureka Secretariat in Brussels. Founded in 1985, Eureka is a global network, with 48 Member States plus the European Commission. It includes nearly all countries of the European continent as well as international members like Israel, Turkey, Korea, Canada, Singapore, South Africa, Argentina and Chile. The Consortium also benefits from the fact that is has successfully run the Eurostars 1 and 2 programs. WHAT: The proposed European Partnership on Innovative SMEs will comprise two main instruments (Eurostars 3 and Innowwide) as well as measures to connect to existing EU programs, initiatives and other European partnerships. EUROSTARS 3 (E*3) is an instrument that supports the international cooperation of SMEs in the field of non-military collaborative innovation projects. An E*3 project consortium must be composed of at least 2 independent entities from at least two participating countries and must be led by an innovative SME. The E*3 instrument benefits from accompanying measures that strengthen SMEs’ ability to access foreign markets like the INNOWWIDE instrument, which has already been piloted with the support of some Eureka network members in recent years. WHY: The biggest challenges for innovative SMEs are the access to international cooperation and to enter international markets as well the ability to receive funding. E*3 through its coordination of national innovation programs will in addition support the further development of a European Research Area. HOW: The Eureka Secretariat will organize two joint transnational calls per year for E*3 and one call per year for Innowwide. National Innovation Agencies actively support the implementation of E*3 via national funding and support measures as well as services to applicants and promotion of the program.