AI-powered platform integrates mineral intelligence, ESG metrics and CRMA compliance into a unified infrastructure

Industry, academia and public institutions join forces to accelerate sustainable permitting and resource governance

Xcalibur Smart Mapping announces the launch of GREENMETALS MAPPING,

a next-generation digital infrastructure designed to reinforce Europe’s strategic autonomy in critical raw materials.

The platform is fully aligned with the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), the European Green Deal, and key EU sustainability frameworks including CSRD and the EU Taxonomy.

The initiative brings together a high-level European consortium led by Xcalibur Smart Mapping (industry), alongside IST-ID/CERENA (academia), and institutional partners ISPRA (Italy) and IGME-CSIC (Spain), with strategic guidance from key stakeholders such as EuroGeoSurveys and Eurometaux. The initiative has also been awarded by EIT RawMaterials.

This multi-stakeholder structure ensures strong alignment across policy, science and market deployment.

GREENMETALS MAPPING directly addresses CRMA objectives by enabling faster, more transparent and sustainability-driven decision-making across the raw materials value chain.

As Víctor Gonzalez notes, “Delivering on the ambitions of the Critical Raw Materials Act requires integrated digital tools that connect geological data, sustainability criteria and regulatory processes. Platforms like GREENMETALS MAPPING are essential to bridge that gap across Europe.”

The platform embeds artificial intelligence end-to-end, combining geospatial intelligence, mineral targeting, ESG risk analysis and regulatory reporting into a unified, compliance-by-design system.

 

In this context, Jorge Urios explains: “With GREENMETALS MAPPING, we are building a European-scale digital backbone for responsible sourcing. Our goal is to connect advanced geoscience, AI and regulatory frameworks into a single platform that enables faster, more transparent and sustainable decisions across the entire raw materials value chain.”

At its core, the platform integrates two interoperable modules: a Geospatial Intelligence Suite for predictive exploration and risk mapping, and a Circular Economy KPI Dashboard delivering traceability, carbon metrics and EU-aligned reporting capabilities. This integrated approach is expected to reduce early-stage exploration timelines by 30%, improve targeting accuracy by over 25%, and cut permitting preparation time by up to 40%.

From the perspective of public institutions, José Román Hernández (IGME) highlights that “GREENMETALS MAPPING represents a key step towards a more transparent and sustainable European raw materials sector. By integrating data, technology and regulatory needs, the platform leverages AI to support informed decision-making across the value chain, incorporating socio-economic and environmental aspects while supporting public authorities.”

Miguel Ángel Alarcón (IGME) adds: “From a public geological survey standpoint, GREENMETALS MAPPING demonstrates how AI can transform geological data into policy-ready intelligence. Combining trusted geological data with explainable AI and ESG criteria is essential to support transparent, evidence-based decisions in line with the Critical Raw Materials Act.”

From an academic perspective, Leonardo Azevedo (IST-ID CERENA) emphasizes that “Increasing the EU’s resilience to critical raw materials supply and accelerating the implementation of the CRMA requires easy-to-access, structured and up-to-date information for decision-makers and communities. GREENMETALS MAPPING addresses these challenges with the development of state-of-the-art Earth-centred AI and advanced geo-modelling tools to support the sustainable green and digital transition.”

Finally, Daniele Spizzichino (ISPRA) underlines the institutional dimension of the project: “With GREENMETALS MAPPING, we are launching an AI-powered platform to support more sustainable and transparent critical raw materials decisions across Europe. A key pillar of the project is the contribution of European geological surveys, with a central role in institutional validation, data quality, interoperability workflows, and pilot testing for public-sector adoption. By combining innovation with ISPRA-led scientific and operational rigor, the project strengthens Europe’s resilience and responsible resource governance.”

Designed for a broad ecosystem of stakeholders, including public authorities, exploration companies, ESG consultancies and policymakers, the platform responds to the growing need for sovereign, interoperable digital infrastructures capable of operationalising CRMA, NZIA and wider EU industrial and environmental strategies.

With a modular, cloud-native architecture aligned with European standards, GREENMETALS MAPPING positions itself as a key enabler of Europe’s digital and green transition, reinforcing data sovereignty, industrial resilience and sustainable access to critical raw materials.