Who makes up the cluster?
The National Cluster for Sustainable Mining and Associated Services of the Iberian Peninsula (ISMC) brings together, as of December 2024, more than 90 members, of which over 70 are companies (SMEs and large enterprises), while the remainder are professional organisations, universities and research centres, accounting for more than 2,500 employees dedicated to the mining industry and its associated services.
Our main objective is to pool efforts and attract key actors within the mining and raw materials value chains in order to promote sustainability and circularity in the sector, whilst driving growth, competitiveness and innovation.
We work hand in hand with our members and partner entities to consolidate the strengths of our mining industry at a global level, with particular emphasis on the development of collaborative projects as well as research and development initiatives with our commercial and institutional partners across the European Union.
The ISMC was founded in 2018 and since then the cluster has broadened its horizon and scope, becoming an effective instrument to foster innovation in the mining sector both nationally and at the European level.
Our activities and services are fully aligned with European policies, initiatives and strategies concerning resource efficiency, sustainable development and the circular economy. This alignment ensures our ability to integrate the Spanish mining industry into global value chains through the development and use of innovative products, processes and services – particularly in the pursuit of sustainable, low-impact mining, where natural resources are used intelligently and efficiently.
ISMC members are fully committed to the development of a sustainable and environmentally friendly mining sector, focused on providing the raw materials that will enable the transition to a clean and low-carbon economy.
We work closely with governments, universities, professional associations, technology providers and other related institutions to:
- Plan industry success policies for the near future.
- Participate in projects aimed at developing new methods and technologies.
- Disseminate evidence-based knowledge to assist the company in understanding sustainable mining.
- Bring the value of raw materials and mining to the general public, and
- To provide training and expertise to new professionals in the field, allowing the development of the sustainable mining industry of the 21st century.
Mission
Our mission is to consolidate an ecosystem of companies relevant to the mining sector and its associated services at a national level, in order to accelerate the transition towards a new, innovative and sustainable industry, capable of ensuring the supply of raw materials that will shape the technologies of the future.
To this end, ISMC provides a comprehensive portfolio of services to support companies in the sector (with particular focus on SMEs) in adopting new technologies, creating skilled jobs, acquiring new knowledge and gaining competitive advantages through innovation and sustainable growth.
Furthermore, ISMC promotes industrial modernisation and digitalisation within the sector through exchange and interaction with emerging industries in advanced manufacturing, ICT, the circular economy, the environment, and the efficient use of resources.
Vision
Our vision sets out an innovative and sustainable mining industry, fully integrated into value chains and capable of generating wealth and wellbeing for local communities; a safe, skilled and gender-balanced workforce; and competitive companies throughout the entire mining and raw materials value chain.
Values
Our core values lie in leading the transformation of the mining sector towards a more sustainable, efficient and innovative model.
Key values such as environmental sustainability, technological innovation, social responsibility and the circular economy are fully aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
ISMC promotes collaboration, occupational safety, transparency and the responsible use of natural resources, ensuring a more ethical mining industry committed to society and today’s needs. By bringing together companies, institutions and experts, ISMC drives a modern mining industry that creates both economic and social value with the lowest possible environmental impact.
Boards of Directors
The Cluster for Sustainable Mining is managed by a team of professionals elected by the General Assembly of the Cluster from among ISMC members, based on their expertise in the mining sector and associated services. This team provides strategic guidance and management skills, playing a vital role in achieving the cluster’s objectives.
Loading..........
The Data is Not Available
Our team
The ISMC cluster has an interdisciplinary team with extensive experience in managing innovation and research projects, and a wide range of expertise in areas related to the raw materials sector, including geological sciences, engineering, natural resource management, environmental sciences, finance, law and marketing.
The structure of the team is characterised by collaboration between scientists, communicators and legal specialists, reflecting a focus on innovation, sustainability and the efficient management of resources. This structure makes it possible to integrate knowledge and perspectives from diverse disciplines, ensuring a strong capacity to address global challenges in sustainability and raw materials, in collaboration with international and European entities.
Dr, Dr. HC, Dr. Santiago Cuesta-López (1976), European PhD in Physics, DEA in Nuclear Science and Technology, Condensed Matter Physics, and Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Miskolc. He is General Director of the International Centre for Advanced Materials and Raw Materials of Castilla y León (ICAMCyL), as well as the ideologist, founder and General Director of the National Industrial Cluster of Raw Materials and Associated Value Chains – Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC).
Santiago Cuesta drives international activity in raw materials within the Industrial Modernisation Platforms (S3P) on Advanced Materials for Batteries (leading the European line on sustainable material supply for the battery value chain) and the EU Regions Raw Materials Platform (Mining and associated value chains). Since 2016, he has also represented Spain as a member of the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials of the European Commission.
He collaborates with organisations that promote science and technology such as the OECD, La Caixa Foundation and FWO (Flanders Research Foundation). Over the past seven years, he has secured 35 H2020 and Horizon Europe projects, coordinating 10 of them at European level, including an INNOSUP-01-2019 project, a FET-OPEN project, and attracting €12 million in research funding. He has been partner/director in more than 50 international funding projects, author/co-author of over 100 publications (70 SCI) and technical communications to industry.
Santiago Cuesta’s career has been recognised both nationally and internationally, having received the National Award as Physicist of Excellence 2018 from the Official College of Physicists (COFIS), as well as other awards and distinctions such as the National Prize of the Spanish Nuclear Society for Young Researchers (2003), the ICFRM Materials Development Award (Sapporo, 2009), in addition to having been awarded a postdoctoral fellowship under the Ramón y Cajal programme of the Ministry of Science and Innovation.