ICAMCyL (International Center for Advanced Materials and raw materials of Castilla y León, is a non-profit research foundation created by the main industries from the automotive, manufacturing, advanced materials, mining, and processing of raw materials sectors of Castilla y León (Spain) that, supported by the Government of the region as an axis of the Regional Innovation Network is strictly related to many European municipalities and industries.
ICAMCyL has funded the Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC) to halt the current decline of the mining sector in Spain, with special attention to the region of Castilla y León and the mining areas of the Province of León, in Northwest Spain. ISMC brings together over 60 companies and organisations and approximately 1900 employees from the mining sector and its associated services. Its aim is to join efforts and attract relevant actors in the mining value chain across the national territory to promote sustainability and circularity while fostering growth, competitiveness, and innovation.
Sunstainable supply of raw materials
One of the main objectives of ICAMCyL is the development of a sustainable and low environmental impact 21st century mining through the development and integration of novel methods, techniques and processes that allow the utilisation and valorisation of raw materials and byproducts, always in agreement with the principles of sustainability and circular economy.
Moreover, industrial symbiosis involves the search for interactions between industrial activity and its environmental and urban environment, with production processes being dependent and interrelated elements. In this context, the term waste is not considered as worthless or useless matter, but rather imitates natural ecosystems in which nothing is disposable, and all materials are reused with great efficiency.
The by-products and residues of the mining industry are used as raw materials for others, producing at the same time economic and environmental benefits, since the saving of resources is added to the minimization of residues and the reduction of polluting loads. The environmental image of companies and associated entities is improved and a relationship and collaboration are established within the industrial sector with the social and natural environment.
We develop solutions through the whole value-chain, from the raw materials extraction, manufacturing, distribution and use, to their recycling and valorisation :
- Processing and recovery of raw materials
- Waste and resources management
- Valorisation opportunities
- Environmental protection
- Sustainable production methods
- Advanced mining technologies (exploration, classification, processing)
ICAMCyL foundation coordinates the endogenous resources, critical materials strategy and Circular Economy strategy in Castilla y León Region (Spain) in close synergy with its Governmental Agency (ICE-CyL), and plays a key and catalytic role as experts in the RIS3 Regional Strategy of Castilla y León, being also well-aligned with several of its priority lines and objectives.
With the support of the Junta de Castilla y León, ICAMCyL is a competence center with the aim of aligning itself and working on the region’s Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3). ICAMCYL is linked and devoted to the promotion of the regional industrial competitiveness, with an industrial alliance of 20 SMEs and LE that define its own intrinsic pathway into industrial innovation. ICAMCYL takes part of the international strategy of industrial resource efficiency management, energy efficiency, eco-innovation, and critical materials substitution, being directly related to the European Innovation Partnership in Raw Materials (EIP-Raw Materials).
Moreover, ICAMCyL contributes to the necessary clustering actions in Europe. In close cooperation with the Government of Castilla y León (DG Energy and Mines), it define and adapt regional integrated roadmaps in synergy with the RIS3 in Castilla y León and mirroring to other EU regions and its smart regional specialisation. ICAMCyL is working intensively in ICT solutions and data management of raw materials and reserves in the territory. ICAMCyL, in representation of the regional government of Castilla y León, has been co-founder and co-leads two key European initiatives linked to the Smart Specialisation Platform for Industrial Modernisation (S3P-Industry) (Advanced materials for batteries & mining regions) which aims to support EU regions committed to generate a pipeline of industrial investment projects following a bottom-up approach – implemented through interregional cooperation, cluster participation and industry involvement.
Sustainable development, circular economy, and mining of the 21st century
ICAMCyL promotes the sustainable development of a new mining based on the principles of circular economy, efficiency and safety through the following strategic lines and activities :
Relevant Projects
MINE.THE.GAP
H2020-INNOSUP-01-2019-GA-873149
Creation and integration of novel industrial value chains for SMEs in the raw materials & mining sectors through ICT, Circular Economy, Resource Efficiency & Advanced Manufacturing innovation support. 5M €.
The overall aim of MINE.THE.GAP is to provide a support platform for the reinforcement of existing value chains and the development of new industrial value chains in the raw materials & mining sectors by means of cross-sectoral and cross-regional innovation and support services in cluster-related SMEs through synergies and interactions with providers and facilitators from the existing and emerging fields of ICT, circular economy, resource efficiency and advanced manufacturing. ICAMCyL, board of ISMC, coordinates and manages the project. ISMC oversees Dissemination, Communication & Exploitation.
PASSENGER
H2020-SC5-10-2019-2020
Raw materials innovation actions : exploration and Earth observation in support of sustainable mining PASSENGER Pilot Action for Securing a Sustainable European. Next Generation of Efficient RE-free magnets.
The project aims to address the lack of sustainable access to critical raw materials faced by the European Raw Materials sector, where permanent magnets represent one of the most vulnerable categories.
Bearing in mind the importance of permanent magnets in present and emerging technologies, PASSENGER aims to develop innovative solutions for the EU dependency on rare-earth raw materials for permanent magnets, avoiding bottlenecks in the material supply-chain and diminishing the environmental impact.
SMARTY
Interreg-EU. SMEs for industry 4.0 – 2.4M € (ICAMCyL project- ISMC’s board)
Partners from regions across Europe have decided to join forces to exchange experience on how policies related to Structural Funds can unlock the full potential of Industry 4.0, fully convinced that the success of digital transformation will greatly depend on the SMEs, which feels in need of more practical support. ICAMCyL, board of ISMC, is project partner acting as business support organisation.
TARANTULA
CE-SC5-06-2018
New technologies for the enhanced recovery of by-products TARANTULA Recovery of Tungsten, Niobium and Tantalum occurring as by-products in mining and processing waste streams (Grant Agreement No. 821159) – (ICAMCyL project- ISMC’s board)
TARANTULA’s overarching objective is to develop a toolkit of novel, efficient and flexible metallurgical technologies with high selectivity and recovery rates with respect to W, Nb and Ta. As such, the project will promote (I) sustainable annual supply of secondary W at an amount equivalent to 50% of current EU W primary production, (II) exploitation of Ta content equivalent to at least 120% of EU annual demand (III) exploitation of Nb content equivalent to at least 5% of EU annual demand.