AMIR – Master in Advanced Materials: Innovative Recycling

Materials are the building blocks of the modern global economy and are instrumental for the transition to a green, circular economy that emits less CO2. Thirty of these materials have been defined by the EU as critical, meaning that they are both highly important to the EU economy and in dangerously low supply. Accessing the known primary raw material sources has become more challenging, while amounts of industrial waste and end-of-life products are rapidly increasing. These waste streams contain secondary raw materials, many of which are critical and can be recovered, diversifying supply and delivering usable materials to meet increasing demands. To achieve this, we need skilled professionals with advanced technical knowledge of recycling, an understanding of the full raw materials value chain, and the skills required to transform knowledge into solutions and business. The AMIR master’s program was created to fulfill this need by educating future international professionals who will develop new routes for materials recycling.

Participating Universities

• University of Bordeaux -  France
• NOVA University Lisbon -  Portugal
• TU Darmstadt -  Germany
• University of Liège -  Belgium
• Technical University of Madrid -  Spain
• University of Miskolc -  Hungary

Our modern lifestyle relies on raw materials. From the iron and steel of our railway infrastructure to the gold and silver in the circuitry of smartphones: raw materials are everywhere. Even the transition to a climate-neutral future requires cobalt for electric vehicles, lithium for rechargeable batteries, silicon for photovoltaics and solar panels, and rare earth elements for wind turbines that generate renewable energy

As the world grows smaller and more hyper-connected, the impact of society on the Earth has never been more visible. It is now clear that we need to shift to a circular economy in order to responsibly use the Earth’s finite resources. But what can just one individual do to help? More than you think! Real change requires courage, innovative thinking, and collective action – the same skill set that EIT RawMaterials Academy - AMIR looks for in prospective students. Are you ready to mine your raw talent, help shape a more circular, green economy, and create sustainable solutions for tomorrow?

What do we offer students?

EIT RawMaterials Academy - AMIR offers students a unique opportunity to learn in a dynamic environment, focusing on real-life challenges. Awarded by the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology), a body of the European Union, the EIT Label is a certificate of quality that is granted only to excellent educational programs at the master and doctoral level.

As a student of an EIT-Labelled program from EIT RawMaterials Academy - AMIR, you’ll be part of the largest European raw materials network with more than 120 core and associate partners and 180 project partners, including higher education professionals, researchers, and industry experts from over 20 European countries. As an EIT Label student, you will be welcomed into this network and will champion and contribute to the EIT RawMaterials goals of finding new, innovative solutions to secure the sustainable supply of raw materials across the value chain: from exploration, mining, and extraction, to mineral processing, recycling and the movement towards a circular economy. EIT RawMaterials aims to equip a new generation of innovators in Europe with the necessary entrepreneurial mindset for designing and delivering materials solutions. You’ll also get the chance to collaborate internationally and develop sustainable solutions to pressing economic, environmental, and societal challenges. And long after you graduate, you can stay connected via EIT RawMaterials Alumni.

What to expect?

• Thesis internship placements at leading European companies
• Membership of the EIT RawMaterials Alumni community
• ‘Learning by doing’ with challenge-based courses that focus on real-life problems
• Study tours and visits to innovative companies and industrial sites
• Exciting new ways of learning: online courses, virtual and augmented reality, and MOOCs
• Courses designed to nurture start-up ideas with accelerators and incubators
• Course modules dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation skills
• EIT RawMaterials Innovation support: business plan competitions, innovation boot camps, seed funding
• Expertise in a raw materials discipline – a comprehensive understanding of the entire raw materials value chain
• EIT RawMaterials summer schools and interdisciplinary courses
• European mobility – a study in at least two European countries

Exclusive activities and support for EIT-Labelled students

Students on EIT-Labelled master’s programs within the EIT RawMaterials Academy - AMIR receive a range of additional opportunities to boost their innovation and entrepreneurship skills, grow their network in the raw materials sector, and gain the experience they need to thrive.

These exclusive events bring together EIT-Labelled students from across the Master School and form the basis of your shared learning experiences, making you a full member of the EIT RawMaterials community.

Participating Universities

• University of Bordeaux
  • France
• NOVA University Lisbon
  • Portugal
• TU Darmstadt
  • Germany
• University of Liege
  • Beligum
• Technical University of Madrid
  • Spain
• University of Miskolc
  • Hungary