Research Directions
The Centre of Excellence for Circular Economy of Strategic Mineral and Carbon-based Resources (SOURCES) will consolidate Estonia's research potential to enhance the resource efficiency, maximize the use of local resources, promote safe material circulation and reuse, mitigate negative environmental impacts, and minimize the need for new natural resources by promoting the widespread adoption of circular economy practices in society.
Specific research and development objectives (SOs) are:
SO1: Increase potential for mineral resource efficiency
SO2: Develop technologies for the extraction and reuse of strategic raw materials
SO3: Develop low environmental impact pathways to key platform chemicals and plastics and facilitate their recyclability
SO4: Develop new technologies for wastewater minimization and resource recycling
SO5: Develop scalable technologies for valorization of primary resources and secondary waste materials including carbon dioxide.
SO6: Assess greenness and sustainability of developed technological solutions
SO7: Contribute to sustainable business eco-system
SO8: Educate next-generation experts and raise awareness in the field of CE.
Collaboration platform with industry and academia will be strengthened, this will impact innovation potential of Estonian and other collaborating companies. SOURCES will lead to increase in knowledge and awareness and the results of collaboration will find implementation of circular economy in Estonia and the EU. Research in the future will be conducted with EU circular economy research hubs to support sustainable chemical industries in EU and globally to produce while maintaining ecological safety.