"Raw materials are in short supply these days!". We are currently hearing this or similar phrases in a wide range of economic sectors. Due to the increasing global demand for raw materials, it is essential to think about the supply of raw materials in the future. The energy and transport transition as well as the digitalization of various areas of the economy and life will further increase the demand for raw materials.

The enormous importance of this topic was the trigger for the 1st Saxon Raw Materials Conference, which took place in Freiberg on 11.01.2024 and was also attended by LaNDER³. The conference was organized by the Saxon State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport and the TU Bergakademie Freiberg.

Lectures from the fields of politics, science and business were presented at the conference. Aspects such as the current raw materials situation, possible strategies, innovative uses and potential sources of raw materials were discussed and debated in a subsequent personal exchange.

Minister of Economic Affairs Martin Dulig reported in an interview with the Leipziger Zeitung that a raw materials strategy had already been established by the state of Saxony at the end of 2022. In addition to the development and use of domestic raw material sources through mining, the aim of this strategy is also to use renewable raw materials for the first time. As LaNDER³ deals with precisely this topic, the partnership can provide a decisive impetus for future topics such as responsible raw material management and recycling. For this reason, a more interdisciplinary exchange is essential, which will hopefully continue into the future with the Saxon Raw Materials Conference in Freiberg.