GAIA Consortium Participates in Final S34I Conference in Vigo, Spain

On June 12th, the GAIA Consortium took part in the final conference of the S34I Project in Vigo, Spain, hosted by the University of Porto and co-organized by a consortium of European partners. This key event marked the conclusion of a collaborative research initiative aimed at transforming how Europe monitors and manages its raw materials sector using cutting-edge Earth Observation technologies.

About the S34I Project

The S34I project (Sensing Sustainable Solutions for Social License and Industry Integration) has focused on researching and developing innovative, data-driven methods to analyze Earth Observation (EO) data in support of the entire mineral resources lifecycle—from exploration to extraction, closure, and post-closure activities.

The project aims to boost European autonomy in raw materials (RM) by making EO a powerful tool not just for managing technical and environmental aspects of mining, but also for advancing the green transition, informing legislation, and enhancing public awareness and social acceptance of mining activities.

GAIA Consortium’s Involvement

GAIA participated in the session dedicated to innovative EO and raw materials projects. Represented by Cybele, the GAIA project was presented, highlighting how EO data and AI can be integrated to monitor tailings storage facilities and waste management, contributing to more sustainable and safer mining practices.

Conference Highlights

The conference opened with a detailed presentation of S34I’s results by the University of Porto. Key outputs include open high-value datasets and AI-driven tools for EO data analysis across various mining phases.

The agenda also included presentations from other leading projects in the field:

• M4mining (NORCE)

• GAIA TSF (Cybele Space)

• GSEU (IGME-CSIC, Spain)

• GoldenRAM (VTT)

• Undercover (ACPMR Cluster Portugal)

• Fierce Project (EIT RawMaterials)

Toward Greater Collaboration

The event concluded with a round table moderated by the University of Leoben, bringing together experts to discuss next steps for the sector. A central message emerged: the need for stronger collaboration, open data sharing, and cross-disciplinary innovation to ensure Europe remains a global leader in sustainable mineral resource management.

Looking Ahead

The GAIA Consortium is proud to have contributed to this landmark event. The conference underscored the value of joint European efforts to advance EO technologies and raw materials intelligence for a greener, more resilient future.