The National Cluster for Sustainable Mining of the Iberian Peninsula (ISMC) held its General Assembly on 17 December in Madrid, a key meeting at which the annual activity report was presented and the main strategic priorities for 2026 were validated.

During the session, ISMC confirmed its consolidation as a strategic platform in the field of critical raw materials, having mobilised more than €6.5 million in investment up to 2025 through European, national and regional projects, with a direct impact on companies, technology centres, universities and public administrations.

Over €2.4 million directly managed in projects in 2025

Throughout 2025, ISMC directly managed more than €2.43 million in projects, of which €2.37 million correspond to European initiatives linked to R&D&I, industrial innovation, sustainability, circular economy and social acceptance of mining activities.

This figure is complemented by newly approved and reserve projects, bringing the total volume of investment mobilised within the cluster’s ecosystem to approximately €6.5 million. This reinforces ISMC’s role as a gateway to European funding and a key lever for innovation and competitiveness for its members.

According to ISMC’s Director General, Santiago Cuesta López,

“2025 has been a year of consolidation and maturity for the cluster. We have strengthened our ability to attract European funding, generate economic returns for our members and position ourselves as a reliable actor in strategic projects. In 2026, we aim to go one step further by increasing project acquisition, strengthening the technical team and expanding our international projection.”

A cluster aligned with the new European raw materials agenda

The General Assembly highlighted ISMC’s role in a context marked by the implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act and the new European industrial policies, such as the RESOURCE EU plan, recently presented by the European Commission.

Within this framework, ISMC is consolidating its position as a reference actor for dialogue between industry, territories and institutions, contributing to a sustainable strategic autonomy based on the responsible development of critical raw materials.

Territorial deployment and launch of the Asturian node

One of the main milestones of 2025 was the launch of ISMC’s Asturian node, a key step in the cluster’s territorial deployment strategy and its commitment to bringing innovation, European projects and industrial cooperation closer to the country’s main mining and industrial regions.

This initiative complements ISMC’s activity in regions such as Castile and León and Andalusia, reinforcing the cluster’s role as a connector between territories, industry and public policies.

European dialogue and the geopolitical context of raw materials

Throughout the year, ISMC maintained an active presence in high-level European forums and dialogue platforms, participating in meetings promoted by the European Commission, the OECD and other international institutions, in a context of growing geopolitical relevance of critical raw materials.

In this regard, Santiago Cuesta López underlined during the Assembly that

“Raw materials have become a central factor in global geopolitics. Security of supply, strategic autonomy and sustainability are no longer purely technical debates, but economic and political ones.”

Cluster growth and attraction of new members

ISMC closed 2025 with more than 80 member organisations and 11 collaborating entities, following the incorporation of new companies from the fields of engineering, technological services and the raw materials value chain. In addition, the cluster is holding advanced discussions with major industrial groups, anticipating new memberships in 2026.

This growth further consolidates ISMC as a leading multi-sector hub for organisations seeking to position themselves in the markets of critical raw materials, energy transition and circular economy.