The CIRAN Community of Practice gathers in the June 2025 Forum in Rovaniemi

On the 16th of June 2025, the CIRAN Project successfully held the CIRAN Forum event in Rovaniemi, Finland. The event was organised in collaboration with the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions & Cities, as it was held as a pre-event to the OECD 2025 Conference of Mining Regions and Cities, held in Rovaniemi, from the 16th until the 18th of June 2025. It was co-organised by CIRAN partners Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU), the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), the International Raw Materials Observatory (INTRAW), and La Palma Research Centre (LPRC).

Held at the University of Lapland, the CIRAN Forum brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore the complex balance between critical raw material (CRM) development and biodiversity preservation, particularly within Natura 2000 areas. Highlights included:

• A keynote on good governance for sustainable mining by Dumitru Fornea
• Case studies from Arctic Finland on exploration in sensitive environments
• Peer-learning workshops tackling EIA, CRM Act implementation, stakeholder engagement, and compensation strategies
• A spotlight on the Sakatti project—mining within a Natura 2000 area

This in-person Forum reinforced the need for the mining sector to bridge economic development with nature protection and community wellbeing through science-based dialogue and informed governance to ensure that the green transition is both responsible and inclusive.

CIRAN findings presented at the 2025 OECD Conference of Mining Regions and Cities

The Annual OCD Conference of Mining Regions and Cities was held in Rovaniemi, Finland, between the 16th and the 18th of June 2025. This annual flagship event fosters collaboration among stakeholders to uplift the well-being of mining regions. Initiatives led by regional government, the private sector, communities, and Indigenous communities take center stage.

The event provides a platform for in-depth discussions on topics related to the quality of life and well-being in mining regions. Each year, the thematic focus is tailored with the hosting region, ranging from enriching local value, green transition opportunities, or participatory governance structures. Serving as a hub for knowledge-sharing and peer review, the event expands networks across mining regions and cities, offering actionable insights.

Thanks to the great collaboration between CIRAN and the OECD Conference organisers, CIRAN partners attended the Conference which was kicked off at the closure of the CIRAN Forum, on Monday 16th. During three days, a variety of relevant speakers covered key topics that the mining sector needs to address worldwide and particularly in Europe. In the Opening Session, Kimmo Tiilikainen (GTK) set the stage for collaborative dialogue across mining regions and local communities, while Mika Riipi, Member of the Finnish Parliament, emphasised the importance of aligning mining activities with regional development, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion.

On behalf of the EU, Judit Rozsa highlighted the transformative potential of the Critical Raw Materials Act to strengthen EU supply resilience, and Dorothée Allain-Dupré, from OECD, provided strategic context, framing the 2025 Conference under two key pillars: local trust & communication, and innovation for sustainable/ESG-driven mining.

The opening remarks reinforced mining’s dual role as a driver of regional growth and the green transition, and as a source of challenges around community acceptance and environmental impact. In this context, the guest speakers introduced key topics like tackling social polarisation and misinformation, the need to enhance multi-stakeholder governance and benefit-sharing, and to foster regional innovation ecosystems to support green mining practices. Overall, the first day offered a strong mandate—starting high-level—for inclusive, environmentally responsible mining anchored in trust, dialogue, and innovation.

On the second day, the 2025 OECD Conference delved into local efforts aimed at bolstering sustainable mining innovation. The primary goal was to explore frameworks and practices enabling regional actors—such as municipalities, innovation hubs, and SME networks—to access and benefit from innovation funding, cluster programs, and startup ecosystems geared toward green mining. Within this framework, CIRAN was honoured to contribute to the session on “New practices to align exploration with ESG Strategies (GeoInnovation Session), on the morning of the 18th of June.

On behalf of the CIRAN Consortium, Luis Rosendo (Generator+ Consulting) highlighted the critical role of Community Development Agreements (CDA) as a strategic tool to reconcile mineral extraction with communities and nature protection across Europe. During the presentation, he highlighted the main topics in favour of CDA, particularly in what concerns the importance of stakeholder engagement, benefit sharing, and transparency, and emphasised how CDAs can help build trust and support within local communities, environmental groups, and industry actors.

To conclude, the Conference’s insights are closely aligned with CIRAN’s purpose of nurturing place-based, socially-driven mining innovation, with clear opportunities to promote local innovation ecosystems across Europe, anchored in sustainability, community participation, and capacity building through inclusive governance. CIRAN engaged across all sessions, reinforcing our collaborative strategy, combining governance research, stakeholder dialogue, and technological innovation to foster sustainable mining ecosystems in Europe’s resource-abundant regions.

We would like to express our gratitude to the organisers of the OECD 2025 Conference of Mining Regions and Cities, the University of Lapland, as well as all actors and participants who supported and participated in the CIRAN 2025 Forum in Rovaniemi.