WORLD RESOURCES FORUM ASSOCIATION

Their core work

The World Resources Forum Association is a Swiss-based international platform organization that convenes dialogue and builds governance frameworks around sustainable resource management. Their core work centers on raw materials policy, circular economy strategy, and responsible sourcing — connecting governments, industry, and civil society around resource efficiency challenges. All their EU project involvement is through Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), meaning they specialize in policy coordination, multi-actor platforms, and certification frameworks rather than technical R&D. They are essentially a convening body that shapes the policy landscape for how Europe and the world manage finite natural resources.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2016-2018) focused on establishing foundational governance for raw materials through FORAM, a broad forum-building effort. From 2018 onward, their focus shifted toward more actionable frameworks: circular economy platforms, waste certification schemes, and responsible sourcing. The trajectory shows a clear move from general resource policy dialogue toward concrete instruments — certification, standards, and supply chain accountability.

Moving from broad resource governance dialogue toward actionable supply chain sustainability instruments, making them increasingly relevant for industry partners needing responsible sourcing frameworks.

How they like to work

They split evenly between leading projects (2 as coordinator) and joining as partners (2 as participant), showing they can both drive initiatives and contribute to others' agendas. With 74 unique consortium partners across 27 countries from just 4 projects, they operate as a network hub — each project involves very large, geographically diverse consortia typical of CSA platform-building actions. This means working with them gives access to an unusually wide web of policy, industry, and civil society contacts across Europe and beyond.

Remarkably broad network for a small portfolio: 74 unique partners spanning 27 countries, reflecting their role as an international convening organization. Their partnerships likely span government agencies, industry associations, research institutes, and NGOs across most of Europe and key resource-producing regions.

What sets them apart

As a dedicated international forum on resource management based in Switzerland, they occupy a rare niche between policy advocacy, industry dialogue, and academic research on materials sustainability. Unlike research institutes that develop technologies or consultancies that advise individual clients, WRF builds the multi-actor platforms and governance frameworks that shape entire sectors. For consortium builders, they bring unmatched convening power and legitimacy in the raw materials and circular economy policy space.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FORAM
  Coordinated the effort to build a World Forum on Raw Materials — a flagship governance initiative positioning WRF at the center of global raw materials policy dialogue.
• RE-SOURCING
  Their largest funded project (EUR 404,625) and most recent, focused on responsible sourcing — signals their strategic direction toward supply chain sustainability.
• CEWASTE
  Coordinated development of a voluntary certification scheme for waste treatment, showing ability to produce concrete, implementable policy instruments beyond just dialogue.