The research consortium RawMatTERS, in which Fraunhofer IZM is a key participant, was approved as European knowledge and innovation community (KIC) for raw materials by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) at the start of December 2014.

Fraunhofer IZM’s involvement centers on replacing critical metals in microelectronics. Over coming years, the institute will investigate all aspects of this question, including advancing miniaturization, technology change, and replacing raw materials that are either rare or susceptible to future scarcity. A particular focus of the new KIC is translating research results into application and facilitating industry spin-offs. The new network boasts more than 100 participating groups, including several Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft institutes.