Socially Responsible Resource Security EU Project Develops New Tools for Socially Responsible Mining

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Mining is often associated with environmental pollution and exploitation, yet no one wants to do without resources like copper. To ensure more socially responsible resource security in the future, the EU research project Vector has developed new exploration tools.

Domestic mining is widely regarded as necessary because Europe requires large quantities of critical raw materials for future technologies, ranging from electromobility and renewable energy to microelectronics, and is dependent on imports. At the same time, local extraction is complex: it is subject to strict environmental regulations, often faces acceptance issues, and requires lengthy approval processes. This creates a tension between the need for secure supply chains and the demands for environmental and social compatibility.

The European research project Vector has therefore combined geoscientific methods with data and social sciences to enable responsible raw material exploration in Europe. Under the coordination of the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg (Germany) for Resource Technology (HIF), the project developed tools that consider both low-impact exploration technologies and societal acceptance issues. This approach is increasingly important in the context of the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act.

Technical Innovations for Environmentally Friendly Exploration

The Vector researchers developed a comprehensive toolbox for assessing raw material potentials in European deposits. This includes innovative passive exploration technologies such as magnetotellurics, which uses natural electromagnetic fields to make geological structures visible at depths of over one kilometer. The method avoids artificial signals, making it particularly environmentally friendly.

Additionally, the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg (Germany) examined existing drill cores using hyperspectral imaging. A machine learning process enables real-time analysis, providing mineralogical evaluations just minutes after data acquisition. This fast, cost-effective, and non-invasive method improves decision-making in the field and supports targeted sample selection.

Another result is an interactive 3D visualization system that integrates geophysical, geochemical, and hyperspectral data into a unified environment. Publications on the tools are listed below:

• Thiele, S. T., Kirsch, M., Lorenz, S., Saffi, H., El Alami, S., Cecilia Contreras Acosta, I., Madriz Diaz, Y. C., Gloaguen, R., Maximising the value of hyperspectral drill core scanning through real-time processing and analysis, in Frontiers in Earth Science 12(2024), 1433662 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2024.1433662)
• Kamath, A. V., Thiele, S. T., Kirsch, M., Gloaguen, R., Multiphysics property prediction from hyperspectral drill core data, in Solid Earth 16(2025), 351-365, (DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/se-16-351-2025)
• Kamath, A. V., Thiele, S. T., Ugalde, H., Morris, B., Tolosana Delgado, R., Kirsch, M., Gloaguen, R., TensorWeave 1.0: Interpolating geophysical tensor fields with spatial neural networks, in Geoscientific Model Development (2025), (DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2345)

Societal Context Plays A Role

In parallel with the technical developments, the Vector team examined societal perceptions of mining and raw materials. The studies show that cultural values, local experiences with mining, and trust in responsible corporate practices are crucial for the acceptance of new projects. As part of the project, recommendations were developed on how industry and policymakers can better integrate societal perspectives into planning and decision-making processes. The tools and insights developed in the project are largely available for free on a platform and are already being used by industry partners. (sb)

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