– Global supply chains are increasingly sensitive to conflicts and disruptions. Rising nationalism has led to export controls and trade wars. It is more important than ever to secure European autonomy in critical value chains. This is exactly what our project is designed to achieve, says Nabil Belbachir, Research Director at NORCE and iBot4CRMs Project Coordinator.
iBot4CRMs tackles critical raw material dependency
iBot4CRMs addresses the urgent need to enhance Europe’s resilience and sustainability by reducing its dependency on critical raw materials sourced from outside Europe. The project aims to develop and implement innovative technologies and processes to recover these materials from end-of-life products and waste.
Innovative technologies to recover critical raw materials from urban waste
Copper, nickel, and cobalt are examples of critical raw materials found in urban waste. The recovery of neodymium-based magnets from waste is also highly relevant due to growing geopolitical tensions.
Waste contains valuable critical raw materials that can be recovered and reintegrated into production processes. However, recovery currently relies heavily on human oversight and manual labour, which limits efficiency in managing growing waste volumes and the complexity of modern materials. It also exposes workers to hazardous conditions.
iBot4CRMs leverages advanced AI, robotics, and data science to develop and deploy intelligent, effective, and adaptable systems to help meet the EU's goals for sustainable management of critical raw materials. This aligns with Europe’s green and digital transition.
The project will deliver impactful innovations, such as flexible, easily scalable AI-powered robots for sorting and collaboratively dismantling end-of-life products – advancing Europe’s sustainability and circular economy goals.
