Scandium (Sc) is one of the highest valued elements in the periodic table and an element which is usually grouped in REEs as it shares many characteristics with Yttrium. Scandium technological applications are unique, as it is a key component in producing Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (Scandia-Stabilized-Zirconia solid electrolyte layer) or high strength Aluminum alloys used in aerospace and 3D printing applications (SCALMALLOY®). Yet Scandium supply is limited due to its scarcity and the high cost of its production, which currently takes place in Asia and Russia. Europe has no production of Scandium, but is home to many Sc industrial end-users (Airbus, II-VI, KBM Affilips and others). In fact end-users like Airbus, are not deploying their Sc applications due to the lack of a secure Sc supply. The SCALE project sets about to develop and secure a European Sc supply chain through the development of technological innovations which will allow the extraction of Sc from European industrial residues. Bauxite Residues from alumina production (5 Million tons on dry basis per year in Europe) and acid wastes from TiO2 pigment production (1.4 Million tons on dry basis per year in Europe) have Sc concentrations which are considered exploitable, given a viable extraction technology. SCALE develops and demonstrates the value chain starting from residue and finishing to high tech end-product. In more detail: • SCALE develops innovative technologies that can extract economically and sustainably Sc from dilute mediums (<100 mg/L) and upgrade them to pure oxides, metals and alloys at lower energy or material cost. • SCALE extracts along with Sc all other REEs found in the by-products (AoG’s BR on an annual base contain 10% of the European REE raw material imports) The industrially driven SCALE consortium covers the entire Sc value chain with 7 major European industries and further features 8 academic and research institutes and 4 engineering companies with track records in RTD.

REACTION will push through the first worldwide 200mm Silicon Carbide (SiC) Pilot Line Facility for Power technology. This will enable the European industry to set the world reference of innovative and competitive solutions for critical societal challenges, like Energy saving and CO2 Reduction as well as Sustainable Environment through electric mobility and industrial power efficiency. Establishing the first 200mm SiC Pilot Line in the world and developing the most innovative and cost competitive technology, this project will address mass-market applications like smart energy and smart mobility, and industrial. It will allow to meet the more and more increasing demand of requirements in terms of quality and cost constraint for next decade generation’s power electronics. The Project strength is the complete Pilot Line value chain implementation, integrating and optimizing partnership in the fields of SiC equipment developers, SiC process technologists, RTOs, and end users partners till the final applications context. This will allow to develop a full 8” SiC line ecosystem enhancing the competitiveness of EU- Industries down to the value chain in a market context where other countries today, such as the USA or Japan, are just starting to play on 6” SiC market. Innovative SiC power device Performances improvements, together with cost and size reductions, are the most relevant challenges addressed in the project that are expected to lead to a new stronger European supply chain for very compact SiC converters, from 600V to 2.2kV range, ideal for the addressed applications; the ambition is therefore to play a primary role towards excellence in Europe by a first generations of 8” SiC profitable Smart Mobility and Smart Energy products and components, primary access to IPs for the relevant essential capabilities, competitiveness of manufacturing in Europe.