CuBES, short for Copper-Based Electrochemical Solutions, is a platform that was founded in June 2016. The European Copper Institute acts as coordinator. The aim of CuBES is to exploit copper’s electrochemical properties and develop the capabilities of the copper extracting and refining industry in order to contribute to EU goals such as the circular economy (through resource efficiency) and energy transition (through bulk storage).
The CuBES partners are committed to improving R&D coordination between industry and researchers, stimulating the development of marketable technologies, increasing knowledge and consequently building trust among the wider community.
The establishment of a strong partner network under the CuBES umbrella is essential to increase knowledge and build trust, helping the wider community to understand the importance of a strong European copper refining industry for resource sustainability and a secure supply of technology metals for the EU.
The CuBES platform is a one-stop shop for copper electrometallurgy information, acting as an eco-system for disseminating information about the partners’ underlying projects, scouting for other projects utilising copper electrochemistry that are already up and running in the EU, as well as scoping out new project ideas. The main CuBES channel is an annual workshop on copper electrochemical technology, in addition to regular teleconferences and web meetings.
The CuBES platform acts as a facilitator to accelerate the development of ideas into marketable solutions. The consortium partners engage in exchanging ideas and concepts for development, discussing available knowledge and critically challenging each other on the real-life applicability of these concepts in the next 5 to 10 years.
The CuBES platform is part of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials, which is itself a stakeholder platform bringing together representatives from industry, public services, academia and NGOs. The EIP’s mission is to provide high-level guidance to the European Commission, EU Member States and private actors on innovative approaches to the challenges relating to raw materials. The EIP has developed a Strategic Implementation Plan, for example, with 95 actions to foster innovative solutions. So it is clear that the European political climate is receptive to the projects that CuBES will submit for funding in the near future.