The MINE.THE.GAP project, coordinated by the ICAMCyL Foundation, has a total budget of €5 million, of which more than €4 million will be allocated to funding innovation projects and additional services for SMEs in the mining and raw materials sectors, in collaboration with technology companies from other industries. This funding will be channelled through nine European industrial clusters, including the Cluster for Sustainable Mining.

The Cluster for Sustainable Mining has secured its first European project within the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. MINE.THE.GAP is part of the INNOSUP call, which aims to provide technical and financial support to SMEs through industrial clusters. This project is expected to have a decisive impact on the mining and raw materials sectors, as the majority of its budget (around €4 million) will be dedicated to funding innovation projects and services for SMEs operating in these areas.

Over the course of the three-year project, at least two open calls will be launched for SMEs to carry out innovation projects in the mining sector. Each project must involve one SME from the mining or raw materials sector, along with two technology providers in fields such as ICT, circular economy, advanced manufacturing, or resource efficiency. Approximately 30 projects will be funded, benefiting up to 90 SMEs, including both technology providers and mining sector companies.

In addition to these funding calls, MINE.THE.GAP will offer free services to SMEs from all participating sectors in areas such as internationalisation, technology scouting, technology transfer, training, partner search, and exchange programmes. These services are expected to give a significant boost to the modernisation of the mining sector, which has been one of the hardest hit in terms of productivity and employment over the past decades in Europe.

A Crucial Boost for Post-COVID Economic Recovery

This project arrives at a critical time for local economies, which have been severely impacted by the COVID-19-related shutdowns. As Santiago Cuesta, Director General of ISMC, stated:
“MINE.THE.GAP will be a unique opportunity for mining SMEs to take advantage of European funding to restart operations after months of inactivity.”
He also noted that the team is exploring the possibility of launching an urgent funding round specifically aimed at mitigating the effects of the crisis on SMEs in the relevant sectors.

Interregional and Intersectoral Impact at the European Level

MINE.THE.GAP involves 11 European partners, including 9 industrial clusters representing over 1,000 members and up to 529 SMEs. The participating countries — Germany, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Poland, Portugal, and Spain — account for more than 50% of all mining-sector SMEs in Europe, highlighting the project’s potential impact on competitiveness and economic growth across the continent.

The project is strongly oriented towards interregional and intersectoral collaboration in Europe. Preference will be given to projects that generate synergies across different sectors and regions among the participating countries.

Both the Cluster for Sustainable Mining and the ICAMCyL Foundation believe that this initiative will help bridge the technological gap and address the lack of financial resources that currently hinder national mining SMEs from investing in new technologies to improve their productivity and sector-wide sustainability.

Following the official launch of the project in June, the first open call for funding is expected to be released as early as September, targeting all mining-sector SMEs that can present innovative modernisation proposals in collaboration with technology providers. In this regard, the Cluster for Sustainable Mining will make a significant effort in terms of outreach and preparation to ensure its member SMEs submit competitive, high-quality projects.

Santiago Cuesta López, Director General of ISMC, highlighted the transformative potential of the project:
“MINE.THE.GAP is an excellent opportunity for the mining sector to embrace new technologies and align itself with the sustainability and circularity trends driving the rest of European industry.”
He also underlined the strategic role of ICAMCyL and the Cluster for Sustainable Mining:
“ICAMCyL has successfully attracted millions of euros in funding for mining-sector SMEs, which will have a significant impact on mining regions both regionally and nationally. The involvement of the Cluster for Sustainable Mining guarantees the territorial impact of this project on local SMEs.”

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 873149.