ICAMCyL participates in IRMHUB, a European project that promotes an interregional network to strengthen the green and circular supply of critical raw materials, key for strategic sectors such as batteries, electric mobility, wind energy and microchips.
Materials that support the green and digital transition
Behind every battery, wind turbine or microchip needed for the energy and digital transition, there is something less visible but just as important: the materials from which they are made. Many of them are scarce and difficult to extract and, in the case of Europe, we depend on third countries to supply us. We import these materials mostly from China. According to the International Energy Agency, by 2024 China controlled 60% of the world’s rare earth magnet mining, 91% of its refining and 94% of the manufacture of permanent magnets.
The EU has been working for years to reduce this dependence, identifying its own deposits, supporting recycling and the circular economy, and promoting legislation such as the Critical Raw Materials Act. But between policies and real projects there is a gap that is hard to bridge: that of connecting regions with capabilities, companies with technology and agents with financing.
This is the context of IRMHUB, a European project in which ICAMCyL, the International Center for Advanced Materials and Raw Materials of Castilla y León, participates. ICAMCyL, International Center for Advanced Materials and Raw Materials of Castilla y León, associated in NODDO.associated in NODDO. The initiative seeks to connect European regions to research, share knowledge and attract investment in the strategic raw materials sector, with special attention to less developed regions and regions in transition.
A European Meta-Hub to transform skills into investment
The project proposes a cooperation structure based on a Meta-Hub, conceived as a space for coordination, integration and knowledge transfer between three regional hubs. These hubs work on three strategic value chains: wind energy and electric mobility, materials for batteries and metals and rare earths for microchips.
Its objective is not only to generate knowledge, but also to help technological capabilities to move towards projects with industrial implementation potential. Among the selected regions is Castilla y León, as a region in transition.
One of the most visible milestones of the project will be the event that IRMHUB will hold on May 19, 2026 in Brussels, under the title “Interregional investment pipelines and strategic priorities for securing a robust critical raw materials ecosystem and a resilient EU supply chain”. The event will take place at the Pullman Brussels Centre Midi Hotel and will show how the project is starting to translate into concrete cases and useful contacts for the European ecosystem.
During the meeting, very practical issues will be addressed, such as:
- European funding opportunities for projects related to critical raw materials,
- The EU’s strategic priorities in this area.
- The presentation of some of the most mature investment cases identified by IRMHUB.
The program includes presentations by representatives of the European Commission, EIT RawMaterials and EISMEA, as well as a pitching session moderated by ICAMCyL, in which three selected projects will be presented. There will also be a thematic block on interregional priorities and sustainability, with examples linked to European mining regions, advanced materials for batteries and integration of SMEs in Industry 4.0.
European network with real impact
IRMHUB brings together 14 beneficiary partners and 12 associated partners, involving regions from Spain, Greece, Slovakia, Italy, Estonia, France, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Poland and Serbia. The project is coordinated by the Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) in Greece. of Greece and has a total budget of 1,340,490.12 €.
Beyond the technical approach, the project aims to help answer a very concrete question: how to make Europe more self-sufficient in key industrial areas, reducing external dependencies and favoring more sustainable models. The importance of IRMHUB lies in the fact that it does not limit itself to analysis or debate. Its aim is to generate a real portfolio of at least 22 projects, accompany them in their maturation and put them in contact with agents capable of promoting them. The Brussels event will be an example of this progress: a space to make opportunities visible, attract funding and continue building a stronger European network around critical raw materials.
ICAMCyL, a benchmark in advanced materials and raw materials
Within IRMHUB, ICAMCyL plays a particularly active role. It leads the work package focused on impact, public policy and regional capacity building, and also participates in the organization of activities aimed at connecting projects with potential partners and investors. Among its responsibilities are also regional promotion actions, support to matchmaking sessions and the development of tools to facilitate projects to be better prepared to access funding.
From NODDO, this participation reflects the role of Technology Centers as agents that connect scientific, technological and industrial capabilities with European collaboration opportunities. In this case, ICAMCyL provides expertise in advanced materials, critical raw materials and industrial sustainability, contributing to the presence of Castilla y León in high impact value chains for the green and digital economy.
Together with this project and since its creation, the ICAMCyL team has carried out more than 30 European, national and regional projects focused on implementing innovative processes in key sectors for the energy and digital transition. In this way, they have established themselves as a bridge between research and industry, promoting technological development and knowledge transfer both regionally and internationally.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor EISMEA can be held responsible for them. .
