Raw materials research

Extraction in the Tsumeb Mine, Namibia Source: BGR

The global reserves and resources of mineral raw materials such as metals, industrial minerals, rocks and soils are not exactly scarce. They are, however, not renewable and are thus finite. In view of the increasing demand for consumer goods and the associated consumption of raw materials, even today we have to look for new sources of raw materials or deposits of alternative materials. These tasks are also necessary with regard to the demand for new technological requirements or product developments.

The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources is involved in these endeavours with a broad range of research activities in the preliminary stages of industrial and sustainable use. The aim is to expand the raw materials base and thus contribute to the long-term security of Germany’s supply.

In order to achieve this, the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources is bundling up its existing know-how on this topic and is expanding it by targeted research and development plans. Particularly in the field of mineral raw materials, experts at the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources are contributing to these objectives by allocating projects to universities and activities within the framework of Technical Cooperation (TC, development aid) and Scientific and Technical Cooperation (STC). The focal points here are, on the one hand, deposit research, and, on the other, method and process development.