Fostering International Cooperation on Raw Materials – the INTRAW Project and the European International Observatory for Raw Materials

In the last decade there has been a structural change in the world’s mineral markets and an increase in the global demand for raw materials. Securing the domestic minerals supply in a sustainable way will be challenging to most countries. The International Cooperation on Raw Materials (INTRAW) project was launched in 2015, with the focus of mapping the national best practices and policies of five technologically advanced partner countries: Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa, and the United States of America. Several key drivers of research, development and innovation in raw material exploration and exploitation were identified. The outcome of the ongoing mapping and knowledge transfer activities will be used as a baseline to set up and launch the European Union’s International Observatory for Raw Materials as a critical new component in the EU’s raw materials knowledge management infrastructure.