Since its foundation in 2015, the virtual institute "GERRI" has been working on strengthening raw material research for the German economy. Now, the founding members and partners have officially registered the network as a non-profit association based in Freiberg/ Saxony. The "German Resource Research Institute" association includes the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, the RWTH Aachen University, the TH Nürnberg, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg and the TU Clausthal. New members from industry, research and public institutions are to follow. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) and the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) joined the network at the beginning of the year.

The promotion of science and research in the field of raw materials is one of the most important goals of the association. "We represent the interests of German resource research in Germany and abroad and manage strategic research cooperation. By networking actors and pooling expertise, we are a decisive point of contact for raw materials, which become an increasingly important topic for industry and society alike," explains Prof. Dr. Dr. Markus Reuter, Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Resource Technology (HIF) at the HZDR and First Chairman of the association.Prof. Daniel Goldmann, head of the Institute for Processing, Landfill Technology and Geomechanics at Clausthal University of Technology, was elected second chairman.

The overall goal of GERRI is to establish a technologically advanced and resource-efficient circular recycling system for metal-bearing and mineral raw materials. The platform has a broad spectrum of expertise in raw material research and mediates research infrastructures for German stakeholders. By using the platform, companies and research institutions benefit from direct access to a broad pool of experts as well as assistance in imparting the appropriate know-how. In particular, GERRI is characterized by the following fields of competence: Exploration and extraction, processing, hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, material development, waste management, modelling and special analysis. Within these areas, GERRI gathers expert knowledge on a wide variety of material flow and elements. With the admission of new partners, the existing fields of competence are to be further deepened and expanded.

Please find more information on GERRI and how to join the network at https://www.gerri-germany.org/.

Contact:
Helene Köpf | Project Coordinator GERRI
Helmholtz-Institut Freiberg Resource Technology at the HZDR
Phone: +49 351 260-4425 | E-mail: h.koepf@hzdr.de

About GERRI:
The members of Gerri develop technologies for the provision of mineral and metallic raw materials, which form the basis for the production of future technologies such as electromobility, energy revolution or digitisation. In order to tackle the challenging and interdisciplinary questions that arise, excellent partner alliances are a prerequisite. The members of GERRI network the necessary disciplines along the value chain of raw materials from exploration, extraction, use and recycling to economics and social sciences and cover the interfaces necessary for the development of sustainable resource technologies. Thus, GERRI members develop the technological prerequisites to enable the transformation from a linear to a closed-loop economy.