The Horizon Europe CRM-geothermal project: Deliverable 6.7 – Clustering Network Map.

The present deliverable is dedicated to reporting the cooperation measures and the respective map of clustering initiatives that were engaged as part of the CRM-geothermal Task 6.6 – Clustering. The task has the purpose of establishing a network of projects and initiatives, mainly funded under Horizon Europe, related to the pillars of CRM-geothermal: sourcing of critical raw materials and geothermal energy. From this network, researchers and other representatives of the projects co-generate opportunities to organise discussions and other joint activities to discuss common topics and mutually contribute to each other’s research efforts.

The consortium partners of CRM-geothermal were contacted by the leader of Task 6.6 in order to collect potential clustering candidates from their network of contacts, which were contacted with the support of a clustering form template. The template allowed CRM-geothermal and the contacted projects to learn more about each other and to assess the mutual interest and respective ideas for joint collaboration. In parallel, partners have been making contacts and redirecting clustering opportunities and events in which CRM-geothermal can participate to the clustering task leader, on an ad-hoc basis.

As a result, CRM-geothermal was invited to join the ‘Materials for batteries Cluster Hub’, together with 25 other EU initiatives dedicated to sourcing of raw materials for the production of batteries from EU resources. Two projects from the cluster invited CRM-geothermal to deliver a presentation at their Plenary Meetings.

The representatives from the members of the Cluster Hub co-organise an annual workshop in Brussels, which was attended by CRM-geothermal in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions, each time with active participation from the partners (presenter or panellist). The outcome of the event was the idea of organising a joint public webinar with the RAWMINA project, to raise awareness and discuss extraction technologies that are similar between both initiatives. In addition, a structured social media campaign with projects related to raw materials were conducted during the Raw Materials Week 2023, enhancing the outreach capacity of CRM-geothermal towards this sector on social media. 

In addition, further engagement with the current network of initiatives is envisaged through presentations at consortium meetings, technical webinars to discuss common topics, and via promotion of each other’s results and updates on social media, strongly supporting Task 6.4: ‘Disseminate project results’.

The second half of the project saw an extension of the cluster network beyond the Cluster Hub with various types of clustering activities. A bilateral relationship with the CEEGS project organised three joint activities:

• an online clustering workshop on multi-use geothermal applications (April 2025)
• an in-person workshop in Lisbon on commercialisation challenges (September 2025), and
• a joint webinar on social acceptance (October 2025). 

Direct policy engagement included:

• the RESPECT event on the Critical Raw Materials Act in Brussels (December 2024),
• the project conference 'Navigating the Energy Transition' at the European Parliament (November 2025), connecting project results with EU legislative and policy processes.
• 'Invisible Mining in Action' bootcamp at Vulcan Energy Resources facilities in Insheim and Landau (September 2025),

Thematic clustering events included:

• the CRIRSCO/UNFC reporting workshop at the University of Miskolc (May 2024),
• the DLE Symposium at KIT (October 2024),
• the START workshop on the Critical Raw Materials Act, and
• the LITHOS workshop on responsible mining.

In addition, industry-facing engagement included the meeting with Aquatech, and the project's presence at PDAC 2025 and the project’s final conference and presence at the GeoTHERM trade fair in Offenburg in February 2026.

 This report is the final version of Deliverable 6.7, due in M48, and reports the clustering and networking activities carried out in the first 48 months of the CRM-geothermal project.