ACPMR IS A PARTNER IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MINHO’S POSTGRADUATE ALLIANCE PROJECT
The Associação Cluster Portugal Mineral Resources, Critical Catalyst, Congeo, Dstgroup, Grupo Erre, Quadrante, are partners of the University of Minho in the project ‘Aliança de Pós-Graduação – Competências para o Futuro’ (PRR/NextGenerationEU) within the scope of the Short Course on Integrated Management of Mineral Resource Exploration Areas, coordinated by Teresa Valente, Associate Professor with aggregates at the UMinho School of Sciences. This course, which is taught on a face-to-face basis, aims to identify the main environmental and economic factors environmental and economic factors associated with the extraction of mineral resources, defining measures to minimising environmental risk in the extraction of resources and applying measures to recover and rehabilitation of degraded areas.
MINERAL RESOURCES SECTOR ADVANCES IN SUSTAINABILITY AND REWARDS GOOD PRACTICES
The mineral resources sector took a significant step towards sustainability with the “Green Horizon: Sustainability in the Mineral Resources Sector” event, which took place yesterday, March 28th, at STONE IBÉRICA – Exponor (Matosinhos). The meeting brought together experts and companies to debate innovative decarbonization strategies, and culminated with the presentation of the “Mineral Resources – For Better Life” Awards, which distinguished the best environmental and social practices. The winners of the 1st edition were: 🏆 SOLANCIS – Decarbonization and Energy Efficiency🏆 ROCKING – Circular Economy, Waste Management and Recycling🏆 REDCORP – Innovation for Sustainability (Digitalization and Automation)🏆 FILSTONE – Environmental Sustainability🏆 SOMINCOR – Social and Community Responsibility (Environmental Education and Awareness)🏆 MARFILPE – Economic Sustainability The mineral resources sector reaffirms its commitment to innovation and sustainability, promoting a more responsible and ecological future.We express our deepest thanks to everyone involved who made this 1st Edition unforgettable! Note of thanks to Observador for presenting and moderating the Ceremony.
SUSTAINABLE STONE BY PORTUGAL AGENDA PROMOTED ANNUAL EVENT AND PRESENTED RESULTS THAT TRANSFORM THE NATURAL STONE SECTOR
The event to present the intermediate results of the Sustainable Stone by Portugal Agenda was held on March 27th, at Stone Ibérica Exponor in Matosinhos. The meeting shared the advances, impacts and solutions developed, which are transforming the ornamental stone industry through digitalization, circular economy and environmental sustainability. The event was attended by the Chairman of the National Monitoring Committee for the PRR, Dr. Pedro Dominguinhos, and the Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, who pointed out that the entities in the sector are showing “a stratospheric change, almost science fiction, because we can do much more, with more precision, with much more anticipation of risks, faster, more efficiently and with much more value”. It was an excellent opportunity to learn about the innovations that are driving emblematic projects and contributing to the sector’s global competitiveness, as well as to meet the companies, entities and people who are adding value to Portugal.
STUDENTS ARE SENSITIZED WITH “MINERALS ARE LIFE” INITIATIVE
On March 19th, ACPMR organized the educational activity “A Mala de Aplicações Minerais” with 50 7th graders from the João Garcia Bacelar Primary and Secondary School in Tocha. From the north to the south of the country, ACPMR visits schools to hold educational sessions as part of the “Minerals are life” Awareness Campaign, where samples are made available and students learn what the products they use every day are made of! During the session, students are made aware of the need for sustainable exploitation and use of mineral resources, and each session ends with an educational game in which the winning teams receive prizes. This game is funded by the European Union.
ACPMR TAKES PART IN EPISODE OF EXPRESSO’S “MONEY MONEY MONEY” PODCAST
The war in Ukraine and reindustrialization are changing the way Europe looks at mines. Rare earths and other minerals are now strategic assets. This episode was moderated by João Silvestre, executive editor of Expresso, and featured Vitor Andrade, Expresso’s economics coordinator, and Luís Martins, president of the Portuguese Minerals Cluster.
ACPMR PRESENTS SUSTAINABLE STONE BY PORTUGAL AGENDA IN GERMANY
SUSTAINABLE STONE BY PORTUGAL AGENDA CONCEPT WAS PRESENTED IN GERMANY The Cluster Mineral Resources, represented by Executive Director Marta Peres, presented the concept of the Sustainable Stone By Portugal Agenda today, March 7th, at the Industrial Technologies Workshop in Dusseldorf, Germany. The aim is to promote the best of what is being done in Portugal and to find international partners to continue innovating at European level.
ACPMR PARTICIPATES IN THE 12TH EUROPEAN NETWORKING EVENT IN GERMANY
The Cluster Mineral Resources is participating in the 12th European Networking Event in Dusseldorf, dedicated to successful RDI projects. Represented by Marta Peres, the Executive Director will present the concept of the Sustainable Stone by Portugal Agenda tomorrow, March 7th, at the Workshop on Industrial Technologies. The aim is to promote the best of what is being done in Portugal and to find international partners to continue innovating at European level.
THE UNDERCOVER PROJECT HAS KICKED OFF IN NORTHERN FINLAND!
We are excited to meet in person for the start of the UNDERCOVER project! Over the next two days, we will lay the foundations for the promising three-year research journey ahead, setting clear goals for a smooth remote collaboration. Funded by #HorizonEurope, our project investigates the potential of cutting-edge, non-invasive technologies to revolutionize #DeepEarthExploration.In a world where minerals are more sought after than ever, but are increasingly scarce at shallow depths and easily accessible, our project’s research is key to unlocking untapped natural resources at greater depths, while minimizing the environmental impact of exploration. With the results of our research, we aim to promote #ResponsibleExploration practices and strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in the supply of minerals. This initiative brings together 16 research, industry and exploration companies under the coordination of the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) / Geologian tutkimuskeskus (GTK).
ACPMR PROMOTED “MINERALS ARE LIFE” INITIATIVE WITH 180 STUDENTS FROM FARO
On January 5 and 6, ACPMR organized the educational activity “A Mala de Aplicações Minerais” with 180 5th, 6th and 7th grade students from the Escola Básica Poeta Emiliano da Costa, in Estói (Faro). From the north to the south of the country, ACPMR visits schools to hold educational sessions as part of the “Minerals are life” awareness campaign, where samples are made available and students learn what the products they use every day are made of! During the session, students are made aware of the need for sustainable exploitation and use of mineral resources, and each session ends with an educational game in which the winning teams receive prizes. This game is funded by the European Union.
ROADSHOW 2025: HOW TO UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL OF THE REGIONAL EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRY
On January 30, CCDR-A and ACPMR brought together a group of companies and stakeholders to participate in the “Roadshow 2025: How to unlock the potential of the regional extractive industry”, and discuss new approaches related to the digitalization, automation and decarbonization of the regional industry, within the scope of the INTERREG European Mining Regions Innovation Ecosystems supporting the Circularity and Resource Eciency (EMRIE) Project, at the CCDR-A headquarters in Évora. The CCDR-A began the opening of the session, followed by words from the companies Almina and Geosense, who presented good practices, ending with the discussion of the themes “Unlocking Regional Potential: Digitalization and Sustainability in the Extractive Industry” and “Innovation and Sustainability: Paths to Digitalization and Decarbonization in the Regional Industry”. Led by CCDR-A, the project addresses the issue of responsible resource management, which is aligned with the circular economy and resource-efficient economy. By improving resource use, promoting circular economy principles and developing efficient land use plans and policies, regions can reduce dependence on imports, strengthening economic resilience and stability. Furthermore, optimizing planning and transforming mining waste into valuable resources contributes to environmental sustainability and mitigates the negative impacts of mining. EMRIE will strengthen regional policy instruments through its collaborative efforts to advance the transition to a greener economy.The Consortium is composed of entities from Portugal, Spain, Finland, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine and Greece. Follow the project’s news and participate in the Roadshows, dedicated to different themes.