r4 – Innovative Technologies for Resource Efficiency – Research for the Provision of Economic Strategic Raw Materials

Education, science, and industry are called upon to work on new strategies and technologies and develop innovative, economical, and environmentally friendly solutions to respond to increasing security of supply risks and rising costs of raw materials. The BMBF supports these research initia-tives and, within the framework of the r4 funding measure R & D, funds projects on resource effi-ciency in the following areas:

    • Development of environmentally sound technical concepts for the economic exploitation of complex ores from known deposits
    • Development of concepts for the exploration of primary raw materials
    • Mobilization of processing and production residues
    • Recycling of waste products (end-of-life)
    • Increasing acceptance of raw material extraction

Target metals of the funding measure are e.g., platinum group metals, steel refiners, electronic metals, rare earths.
As a flanking measure, outstanding young scientists are to be supported in the context of junior re-search groups, a structure-building measure, or a network to strengthen German raw materials technology research in international competition and an integration and transfer project.