Scope of the project
The MICA project brings together experts from a wide range of disciplines in order to ensure that Raw Materials Information is collected, collated, stored and made accessible in the most useful way in order to correspond to stakeholder needs. Hence, the goal for MICA is to provide stakeholders with the best possible information, in a seamless and flexible way using an ontology-based platform, the European Union Raw Materials Intelligence Capacity Platform (EU-RMICP). To accomplish this goal, MICA will assess sources of relevant data and information and conduct analyses of appropriate methods and tools in order to provide guidelines and recommendations.
Overall, the MICA project will build upon the concepts of “fact sheets” and “flow sheets”. Fact sheets are domain-specific descriptions of data sources, methods, tools and models, whereas “flow sheets” can be considered “recipes” that describe what fact sheets should be used for, as well as how they should be combined and in what sequence to obtain answers to specific question. These fact sheets and flow sheets will be integrated into the European Union Raw Materials Intelligence Capacity Platform (EU-RMICP), which is intended to be a stand-alone product that can be incorporated into a European Union Raw Materials Knowledge Base (EURMKB) within a future permanent structure of an EU Raw Materials Intelligence service. In this regard, the MICA project has strong links to the efforts of the current Minerals4EU project where an EU Minerals Knowledge Data Platform (EU-MKDP) is being developed. The maintenance issue of fact sheets and flow sheets and of their metadata will be addressed by network building and a dedicated governance structure. The Minerals4EU network and permanent body (currently under construction) and the future European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI) represent efficient solutions as they are supported by the entire EuroGeoSurveys Community.
The main objectives of MICA are:
- Identification and definition of stakeholder groups and their Raw Material Intelligence (RMI) requirements
- Determination of appropriate methods and tools to satisfy stakeholder RMI requirements
- Consolidation of relevant data on primary and secondary raw materials
- Investigation of (RMI-) options for European mineral policy development
- Development of the EU-Raw Materials Intelligence Capacity Platform (EU-RMICP) integrating information on data and methods/tools with user interface capable of answering stakeholder questions
- Linking the derived intelligence to the European Union Raw Materials Knowledge Base developed by the Minerals4EU project.
Impacts
MICA project will:
- Help decision makers at EU level to better navigate through the Mineral Raw Materials Domain. MICA will be providing information related to mineral intelligence methods, tools and data organised, quality controlled and available in a single place
- Offer a framework for the recommendation of Research & Innovation priorities
- Contribute to evidence-based policy and appropriate, cost-effective management, planning and adaptation decisions by the public sector, businesses, industry and society
- Improve conditions for sustainable access and supply of raw materials in the EU
- Increase the competitiveness of the EU industry and promote the supply of minerals from EU sources.
To download the MICA brochure, please click here.
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