Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable water technology is performing research aiming for pre-competitive development of entirely new concepts and breakthrough technologies in the field of water treatment. A unique environment is created at Wetsus, where 90 companies worldwide and 20 EU knowledge institutes can participate to create innovative solutions to water-related problems. The institute carries out multidisciplinary research performed by 65 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, mostly located in the Wetsus laboratories in Leeuwarden. Besides the research program, Wetsus also intends to increase employment opportunities in the technical sector for the future knowledge worker. Together with its partners they offer promising future prospects to youngsters and develop their talents and skills. This starts with inspiring education and offering interesting tools to the target groups. In recent years, many valuable initiatives have been launched in the field of water technology promotion, i.e. a Talent Program running for over 6 years in the Friesland Province (Netherlands) and reaching over 500 schools, but also national programs such as the Human Capital Roadmap Water have been designed for schools.
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Réjouisciences is the dissemination unit of science and technology of The University of Liège (ULg) since 2001. Réjouisciences supports researchers from ULg in their communication with the society at large (teachers, school groups, families, informed public, etc.) and organises exhibitions, conferences, tours, “science café”, contests, trainings, practical works, stimulating activities or support for school projects, publications, etc. The GeMMe group of the University of Liège is dedicated to education and research on the RMtopic, especially on the characterisation and the development of processes to recover materials from minerals and wastes. GeMMe is responsible for the master in mining and geological engineering and the Erasmus Mundus programme in georesources engineering. Gemme takes part in some popularisation activities linked to the RM problematic in collaboration with Réjouisciences, such as conferences and open days at the laboratories (i.e. “Printemps des Sciences”, promotion day of the engineering studies, Earth & mineral resources day, etc.). They have realized events such as “The resources in my pocket” in collaboration with the Museum of the Metallurgy and the Industry of Liège to increase the increase the knowledge of youngsters on the RM used in the mobile phones, and "Raw materials on our daily table" (ex. linking phosphates to Coca-Cola; kaolin to tableware; carbonates to paper; iron to cutlery; lead ore to crystal; etc...).
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Clausthal University of Technology was founded in 1775 as a mining academy. During its history, the Royal School of Mines (1864) broadened its focus and covers today in research and study programs the whole range from RM to Material Sciences, over Mechanical and Process Engineering to Economics, and advanced Electronic Waste Recycling. It possesses a distinguished visibility in the area of recycling, beneficiation and material sciences and enjoys an outstanding reputation for its research in the field of mining (surface and underground). The University supports a well-established network with regional and nationwide industrial partners. Clausthal University offers a bouquet of different dissemination activities (i.e. visits in scientists labs, week-courses of lectures during the summer holidays, etc.).
Moreover, Clausthal University introduced in 2004 the “Flying Science Circus”, a program where Scientists from University visit schools and cover their research with exhibits and experiments. In RM@Schools the Clausthal University shares its methodological and experimental approaches customized on schools and successfully used in “Flying Science Circus”. Moreover, its expertise in preparing materials for supporting and increasing the teacher knowledge on RM as the indispensable and precious prerequisite of every high tech device will be precious in the consortium.
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The Mining and Energy Engineering School of Madrid was created in 1787 (as mining Academy) and incorporated to the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) in 1973, with the objective to train engineers in the fields of Energy, Geology, Metallurgy, Mining and Environmental Engineering, providing a quality educational offer that meets the challenges of knowledge and responds to the society needs, not only through the transmission of knowledge, but also to demonstrate its commitment to social progress. It has a large experience in organizing outreach activities to recruit students for engineering studies related to mining and petrol activities. It is outstanding to mention among them the activities organised within the Historical Mining Museum and Library (holding more than 30.000 books from XVI to XIX century), its monthly Mineral fair, several workshops on recognition and usefulness of minerals or its yearly Geological camp in Pyrenees. Moreover, the Mining School of Madrid has a long tradition of collaborating with industry: Anefa, Atlantic Copper, CEMEX, CEPSA, CLH, CSN JUAN MANUEL KINDELAN, MAXAM, REPSOL, TECFUTURA SACYR, UNESCO for University policy and management, UNESCO TECLIN on Mining Heritage.
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Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd. (BZN), founded in 1993 as an applied research public foundation, now is the largest and most successful institution of applied research in Hungary, and it has collected a wide experience range on transferring research results into the market by actively participating to EU framework programmes. BZN plays the role of a "bridge of innovation" for the partner institutes through activities of applied research-development and technology transfer to enterprises. BZN has been one of the main organisers the European Researchers' Night, the most important science communication event in Hungary, since 2010. This event is a natural forum for wider society learning, well known and sought after among the public interested in science communication events.
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The Fraunhofer IFAM is one of the most important research institutions in Europe for adhesive bonding technology, surfaces, shaping and functional materials, combining technological and scientific knowledge and expertise into seven core competencies: Powder Technology; Sintered, Composite, and Cellular Metallic Materials; Adhesive Bonding Technology; Surface Technology; Casting Technology; Electrical Components and Systems; and Fiber Reinforced Plastics.
Almost ten years ago, the Fraunhofer IFAM started offering several, still ongoing programs to attract teenagers to STEM subjects, to foster their interest and/or to train them in this field or to motivate them to choose STEM subjects in academic education. By doing this, Fraunhofer IFAM has been creating a network of schools in the Bremen area and in Papenburg.

1. “Fraunhofer Talent School” stands for three-day-workshops once a year, open to teenagers from 15 to 19 (German 9th to 13th grade) who are interested in STEM subjects. 15 Fraunhofer Institutes all over Germany offer these workshops, funded by Fraunhofer Headquarters. Participants learn and work for three days in Fraunhofer labs. STEM subjects turn around the core competences of the institutes in charge. At Fraunhofer IFAM currently three workshops are offered: Adhesive bonding, bioanalytics and medical imaging (in cooperation with Fraunhofer MEVIS). At the end of these three days, participants have to perform a team presentation showing their “learning portfolio” of these three days.
2. “Fraunhofer Umwelt Talent School”: Basically the same format and the same target group as the Talent Schools, but with environmental subjects, which at Fraunhofer IFAM are: Production of rotor blades for windcraft engines: Ecologically sensitive?; E-mobility.
3. Junior Ingenieur Akademie: Initially, a program that had been funded by the Deutsche Telekom Stiftung; 5 years ago, the Mercedes Factory in Bremen decided to continue and financially support this program. Fraunhofer IFAM is collaborating with one “Gymnasium” in the Bremen area which chooses 16 pupils who work in this two-year- program. They learn about adhesive bonding in theory and are doing lot of lab work at school, at Fraunhofer IFAM and in the Mercedes factory. At the end, they have to construct small cars with adhesives and then crash them – for a competitive test.
4. Fraunhofer MINT-EC-Talents. (Program that has been put on hold though since funding is unclear at the moment): Over a two year period, 12 participants from all over Germany come for five three to five-day-workshops to Fraunhofer IFAM. At the end of this program, pupils participate with their team-projects at a Germany wide STEM competition: “Jugend forscht”.
5. “TheoPrax”. Fraunhofer IFAM joined in 2003 this initiative launched by Fraunhofer ICT: Companies give so called “drawer-subjects” (problems that can’t be taken care of in daily routine) they want to be worked on to Fraunhofer IFAM TheoPrax office which is elaborating these into project themes handed out to pupils. Participants basically learn projectmanagement, preferably by working on STEM subjects. The TheoPrax center has elaborated a couple of “tool kits” (also train-the-trainer material in PM, creativity techniques, communication) for teachers and colleagues of other Fraunhofer Institutes to work with the TheoPrax method.

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Montanuniversität Leoben is a 176 year-old technical university covering the field of mining, metallurgy, material sciences and new energy technologies. The research and education profile is set along the value life cycle of products ranging from the extraction of raw materials, to processing, production processes, product design, product distribution and recycling of end of life products to reintroduce them into the value life cycle. All study programmes of MUL are located along this cycle. Further, the university philosophy is set along this value life cycle and the mentality of sustainability as a wholesome concept has long penetrated university thinking. MUL also has a long standing history in the mining industry and has thus gathered enormous expertise in regards to mining technologies and mineral economics. MUL is moreover core partner at the KIC EIT Raw Materials and allocated to the Eastern CLC (Wroclaw/Poland), where it started to develop a specific strategy for Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (“ESEE region”), a region in which it historically has a long tradition in co-operations and practical project experiences (e. g. being partner in European programs, such as Horizon 2020).
“Raw Materials University Day 2016”: In general the Raw Materials University Days is a communication campaign which was launched by the European Commission in the framework of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials. The event is now run and funded by the EIT RawMaterials KIC under the umbrella of the RawMaterials Academy. The aim of the Raw Materials University Day at Montanuniversitaet Leoben was to attract young people that are finishing school and deciding on their path of future study, in order to inform them about the various study and career opportunities in the raw materials sector. About 230 students and their teachers from schools all over Austria attended at the event. Costs for food and transport (travelling allowance) were covered. The event showed practical examples of career opportunities in raw materials, the highlight was a trip to the “Steirischer Erzberg” (mine in Eisenerz) where the students were given a tour on a heavy goods vehicle with commentary from mine employees as well as watching rock blasting live. At Montanuniversitaet Leoben presentations form two industry representatives (Stefan Griesser from Inteco melting and casting technologies GmbH and Renate Schweighofer from Neuman Aluminium) talked about detailed potential career paths within the raw materials industry. Talks from Peter Moser (vice-rector of Montanuniversitaet Leoben) covered the opportunities for studying subjects across the whole value chain at the university. Tony Hand and Tomas Jensen from EIT RawMaterials encouraged the students to widen their perspectives when thinking about the job opportunities in the raw materials sector. Despite the speeches and the tour to the mine in Eisenerz the students also had the chance to take part at several different laboratory tours at the university. They were able to talk to current students and see lab processes such as forming steel live in action.
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