On 18 June 2026, the WIDEX consortium gathered in Oviedo for a full day dedicated to project progress, knowledge transfer and collaboration across the European critical raw materials ecosystem.
The programme combined the project’s M24 General Assembly with the Cross-Fertilisation Workshop “Advancing Collaboration in Critical Raw Materials and Innovation Ecosystems”, bringing together consortium partners, European projects, innovation hubs and experts working across the raw materials value chain.
Reviewing WIDEX progress at M24
The day began with the WIDEX General Assembly, jointly organised by the ICAMCyL Foundation and the Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC).
The meeting provided partners with an opportunity to review the project’s progress at Month 24, assess the achievements delivered since the previous implementation period and coordinate the work planned for the coming months.
The consortium discussed developments related to project management and ethics, training and education, dissemination, communication and exploitation, as well as progress towards the establishment of the WIDEX Industrial Cluster.
Partners also reviewed the remaining deliverables and milestones, upcoming technical activities, internal responsibilities and the schedule for future project meetings and workshops.
The General Assembly confirmed the strong commitment of the consortium to WIDEX’s core objective: strengthening knowledge transfer, research management capacities and collaboration in advanced green technologies and sustainable raw materials.
WIDEX would like to thank all consortium partners and their teams for their continued commitment, professionalism and collaborative work throughout the project’s first 24 months.
Connecting WIDEX with the wider European ecosystem
Following the General Assembly, the Cross-Fertilisation Workshop opened the discussion to the wider European critical raw materials and innovation community.
The workshop was hosted and guided by Diego Lozano from ISMC, who welcomed participants, introduced the speakers and accompanied the event throughout its different sessions.
Juraj Janočko, WIDEX Coordinator from the Technical University of Košice, opened the programme by presenting the project’s objectives, progress and ambition to reinforce excellence, knowledge transfer and sustainable innovation.
From research results to real impact
The first session, “From Research to Impact: Knowledge Transfer in Raw Materials Projects”, showcased research and innovation initiatives developing new technological approaches for the recovery, processing and circular use of critical raw materials.
Augusto Márquez presented the work of the METALLICO, FIC-Fighters and M-BAT projects, highlighting developments related to sustainable battery materials recovery.
Sandra Pavón introduced NEO-CYCLE and its work on the upcycling of NdFeB permanent magnets for green applications in Europe.
Rosa Alonso presented SCIMIN-CRM, an initiative focused on the sustainable and circular production of mineral critical raw materials.
The presentations offered valuable insights into the process of transferring research results towards practical and industrial applications, while also highlighting common technological and implementation challenges.
Strengthening European hubs and innovation ecosystems
The second session, “European Hubs for Raw Materials: Building Collaborative Ecosystems”, focused on the role of European networks, hubs and interregional cooperation in developing more resilient raw materials value chains.
Rafael Castillo presented IRMHUB and its work to promote circularity, green raw material supply and innovation capacity in less-developed European regions linked to critical industrial value chains.
Louison Poudelet introduced PERMANET, a European network supporting cooperation and knowledge exchange around permanent magnets and the green transition.
Dr Merie Kannampuzha presented REMHUB, which aims to build a European rare earths and permanent magnets ecosystem capable of supporting resilience, innovation and industrial cooperation.
The session demonstrated how hubs and networks can connect research organisations, companies, regions and public authorities, supporting knowledge transfer and creating new opportunities for cooperation across Europe.
Building new connections for sustainable raw materials
The workshop brought together projects and initiatives with complementary expertise in battery materials, permanent magnets, recycling, circularity, innovation ecosystems and regional development.
The exchanges reinforced the importance of cross-project collaboration in avoiding duplication, sharing lessons learned and accelerating the uptake of innovative solutions.
They also reflected the wider WIDEX ambition to connect research, education, industry and innovation ecosystems in order to strengthen excellence and support more sustainable and resilient European critical raw materials value chains.
The workshop reinforced the importance of collaboration among European projects, research organisations, industry and innovation ecosystems to accelerate knowledge transfer and support more sustainable and resilient critical raw materials value chains.
Through activities such as this workshop, WIDEX continues to create connections between European projects, innovation ecosystems and raw materials stakeholders, helping transform knowledge into collaboration and collaboration into impact.