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Project name: hydroMEtallurgical Tech for Interregional Urban Mining
Duration: November 2025 / October 2028
Total budget: Euro 9.026.288,13
EU Contribution: Euro 6.318.401,46
Call: I3-2024-INV2a
Topic: I3-2024-INV2a
Internal contacts
Samuel Nazzareno Monaco – samuel.monaco@afil.it
Francesca Crippa – francesca.crippa@afil.it
Website
Project objectives
METIUM aims to build the first European interregional Urban Mining ecosystem, developing 4 interregional value chains for Strategic Raw Materials through a portfolio of 15 demonstrators, spanning collection and dismantling through to hydrometallurgy. A central element of the project is the Hydrometallurgical Triangle, rooted in Less Developed Regions, which supports the scale-up of 5 hydrometallurgical processes as an alternative to pyrometallurgy. The project focuses on raw materials with EU dependency on third countries ranging from 86% to 100% — lithium-ion battery materials, platinum group metals (PGMs), rare earths, aluminium, and copper — all essential for the digital and green transitions, as well as for defence. METIUM also aims to consolidate waste and end-of-life product flows, piloting the first European Urban Mining Marketplace for PGMs and photovoltaic panels.
The role of AFIL
Within the project, AFIL contributes to structuring the interregional innovation ecosystem for Urban Mining. In this context, the Cluster is responsible for the active engagement of regional authorities both within and beyond the METIUM consortium, leveraging the support of the S3 Communities of Practice and AFIL’s leading role in the Vanguard Initiative. Engagement activities extend beyond the regional level to national and European stakeholders, through a broad network of actors from both the supply and demand sides of strategic raw materials.
Opportunities for AFIL Members
Through AFIL’s participation in METIUM, Cluster Members have the opportunity to access a European interregional ecosystem dedicated to Urban Mining and the recovery of Strategic Raw Materials, gaining an up-to-date perspective on emerging technologies and investment opportunities. The project enables connection with a qualified network of industrial actors, research centres, and European regional authorities, fostering new collaborations and transnational project initiatives. Members can also benefit from analyses of the European regulatory framework on critical raw materials and recycling, as well as insights into available regional funding instruments. Finally, through AFIL’s role in the Vanguard Initiative and involvement in the S3 Community of Practice, Members have a privileged channel of dialogue with European and regional institutions on supply chain resilience and the transition towards a circular economy.