SECRETARIA GENERAL DE INDUSTRIA Y MINAS

Their core work

The Secretaría General de Industria y Minas is the regional mining and industrial policy authority of the Junta de Andalucía (regional government of Andalusia, Spain), based in Sevilla. Their core mandate covers mining regulation, mineral resource management, and industrial permitting in one of Spain's historically significant mining regions. In H2020 projects, they contribute regulatory expertise, facilitate access to exploration test sites in Andalusia, and provide the public administration perspective needed to advance socially acceptable mining and extraction practices across Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 involvement (2017) centered on technical and procedural aspects of mineral exploration — testing non-invasive technologies, certifying exploration methods, and coordinating mining regions across Europe (INFACT, MIREU). By 2020, with SUMEX, the emphasis shifted toward the social and governance dimensions of mining: sustainable management and the concept of a "Social License to Operate." This mirrors a broader EU trend where extractive industry policy moved from technical modernization toward community acceptance and sustainability frameworks.

Moving from technical mining modernization toward governance-oriented sustainable extraction, making them increasingly relevant for projects addressing community acceptance of resource activities.

How they like to work

This organization consistently participates as a partner or third party — never as coordinator — which fits their role as a regional public authority contributing domain knowledge rather than leading research. They operate within large consortia (75 unique partners across 28 countries), indicating they are comfortable in broad, multi-country coordination and support actions. Their involvement pattern suggests they are sought out for their regulatory perspective and access to real mining regions, not for research output.

Despite only three projects, they have connected with 75 unique partners across 28 countries — a remarkably wide network driven by the large consortium sizes typical of CSA and RIA projects in the extractive industries domain.

What sets them apart

As a regional government mining authority from Andalusia — one of Europe's most mineral-rich regions (Iberian Pyrite Belt) — they offer something most research partners cannot: direct regulatory authority and access to active and historical mining sites. For any consortium needing a public administration partner with real permitting power and on-the-ground mining governance experience in southern Europe, they are a rare and practical choice. Their shift toward social license topics also makes them valuable for projects that need to demonstrate public sector buy-in for responsible resource extraction.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INFACT
  Focused on certifying non-invasive exploration technologies with real test site installations — the organization likely provided access to Andalusian mining sites.
• SUMEX
  Their most recent and largest-funded project (EUR 69,280), centering on sustainable extraction management and Social License to Operate — signals their current strategic direction.