Partners

VTT Ltd is a the leading research and technology company (2500 employees) in the Nordic countries harnessing high technology to develop scientific solutions for sustainable development and creating new business opportunities. VTT has deep professional knowledge and long experience in development of systems and technologies for waste collection, and waste management and values of metals in wastes, including also experimental work. The research area covers the whole value chain from characterization, collection, sorting & identification, upgrading and processing to utilization and products, and also substitution of critical raw materials in electronics.

KU Leuven is the largest university in Belgium. In the Times Higher Education ranking KU Leuven is ranked as the 12th European university, while in the Reuters Top 100 of the World’s most innovative institutions, KU Leuven is listed as the first European university. In AWARE, KU Leuven is represented by the interdisciplinary SIM² KU Leuven cluster. KU Leuven researchers are leading experts in “new metallurgical systems” for base/critical metal extraction from extractive waste, industrial process residues and electronic waste, with ample experience in the coordination, communication, public outreach and dissemination of ITN/ETN projects.

Raw materials research and sustainability is on the top agenda of TUD research vision. TUD is a Pioneer University in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and participates in the Schmidt-MacArthur fellowship program on circular economy. TUD is participating with UL CML in the Leiden-Delft- Erasmus Centre for Sustainability on circularity (CfS).. The DUT has set up a MOOC on Circular Economy and product design that already has over 10,000 participants. The DUT develops learning content for teachers, and have the Science Centre; an educative centre on technology. The Centre also develops activities for high school students.

Relight is a private company, part of TREEE Group, a leading industrial player operating in the Italian e-waste (“WEEE”) sector with a supply chain covering every segment from the home delivery of household appliances to the collection, treatment and recycling of electrical waste. TREEE is the Italian market leader with more than 90.000 tons of WEEE treated in 2017. Since its establishment, the main aim of Relight is to ‘close the loop’ and find solutions for the recycling of different fractions that constitute WEEE, especially for critical materials such as rare earths elements.

Fondazione Bruno Kessler is a research non-profit public interest entity. Top Research Institute in Italy, ranked at the 1st place for scientific excellence within 3 different subject areas (ICT, History and Sociology) and for the economic and social impact according to the quality of research ANVUR evaluation for the period 2010-2014. Being the result of a history that is more than half a century old, through 2 scientific hubs, 7 research centres, 410 researchers, 2 specialized libraries, 7 laboratories, FBK aims to results of excellence in science and technology with particular emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches and to the applicative dimension.

The University of Trento was founded in 1962 and has always aimed at building alliance and reciprocal efficiency with Italian and foreign institutions and organizations. In 1982, the University (until then private) became public, with a statute that guaranteed self-government.

There are more than 16,000 students, about 600 professors and researchers and the same number of technical and administrative staff: these numbers indicate that the University can provide an ideal environment for study and research.