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Innovate3X - 5
Scaling Industrial Processes Of Critical Raw Materials Recovery And Application
Initiator: UPC BarcelonaTech
Desired Outcome:
SMAR3TS projSMAR3TS project partner - UPC BarcelonaTech and its R2EM research and innovation team at Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering (CCEM Barcelona) are working on recovery of materials such as brine. Recent examples include a successful nano-filtration pilot (removing materials and allowing pure filtration tests – technology that has been commercialized – high pressure NF for separation of NaCl and CaCl2).
The Innovate3X (I3X) challenge (described here as a call to innovate solutions for resilience, restoration, and regeneration) invites research and innovation talent within the SMAR3TS project to assess how critical raw matericals can be recovered and applied/reused in industry, e.g., rare earth elements (REE) recovery, and how to manage industrial waste, e.g., in the mobility sector.
Express your interest in SMAR3TS Secondment
YOUR Opportunity at UPC BarcelonaTech (Barcelona, Spain)
This I3X challenge is initiated by UPC BarcelonaTech within the SMAR3TS project and requires a secondment with a minimum duration of 30 days (to take place starting from Dec 2025). Fully funded by the European Commission, the four-year SMAR3TS project started in October 2025 and unites 35 partners worldwide to accelerate resilient, restorative and regenerative transitions through research and innovation mobility.
For more info: please see details in the attachments.
Please note: the secondments are open only to SMAR3TS Consortium Partners.
Necessary Skills and Capabilities across Disciplines
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Develo
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Knowledge of industrial critical raw material recovery processes
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Ability to perform economic analysis
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Experience of developing techno-economic evaluation scenarios
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Engagement of mining technology companies and research centers (e.g., RMIT and mineral processing companies in Australia, e.g., BHP)
Examples of Challenges that Need to be Addresses
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Managing metal waste(e.g., in the pyrometallurgical industry)
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Interaction of hazardous metal waste with the soil
About the Initiator - i3X @ UPC BarcelonaTech
Background info
The Barcelona Research Center in Multiscale Science and Engineering (CCEM Barcelona) at the UPC BarcelonaTech is a multidisciplinary hub at the forefront of materials science, in the fields of micro and nanoengineering, nanotechnology and biomaterials.
Research Group/Company Department
R2EM group is developing research activity on development of sustainable urban and industrial waste management cycles based on resource recovery approaches promoting circular solutions of waste to product and waste to energy. Research also involves efforts on developing environmental remediation solutions for soils and ground water remediation, process and environmental monitoring and environmental risk assessment on ports.
Link to the website: https://futur.upc.edu/idioma/en
Contact: Prof. Jose Luis Cortina, jose.luis.cortina@upc.edu
See attachment: Expertise and available technologies at UPC BarcelonaTech within SMAR3TS project and examples of strategically relevant I3X Initiatives
Alignment to Work-Packages
SMAR3TS domains that are relevant to the work of UPC BarcelonaTech organization/research and innovation team are:
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Nutrition: e.g., upcycling process of agri-food waste, sustainable food packaging
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Mobility: sustainable mobility and digitalization, processes for critical material recovery and reuse in the mobility sector
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Energy: energy recovery, energy transition, reducing energy consumption
Alignment to Resilience, Restoration, Regeneration (R3)
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Regenerative food production and recycling
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Regeneration processes in the pyrometallurgical industry
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Restoration: recovery and reuse critical raw materials for the future of mobility
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Restoration: maximizing water reuse and water recovery through smart, circular and integrated solutions for sustainable energy use and production
NOTE:
The expression of interest for the secondment at UPC BarcelonaTech must be submitted via the platform. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and you will be contacted as soon as possible. For any questions, please contact: info@smar3ts.eu
Related Keywords
Industrial manufacturing, Material and Transport Technologies, Materials Technology, Traffic, mobility, Mining Technologies, Mining and extraction, Waste to energy other, Integrated waste-energy processes, Recycling, Recovery, Rare Earths Metals Treatment, Waste to Energy /Resource, Light metals, Multi-material, Mobility (road, aerospace, marine), Materials and Manufacturing Processes, Materials Processes, Novel Materials and Materials Technology, Chemicals and Materials, Speciality metals (including processes for working with metals), Machine tools, other metal working equipment (excluding numeric control), Mining machinery, spain, mobility, pyrometallurgical, upc barcelonatech, wg-mobility, wg-energy