CRM Group is a proud member of international organisations representing the steel industry:
Network and partnerships
As a collective research centre, CRM Group has developed numerous strategic partnerships to strengthen its networks and to share experience at the regional, national and international levels, where its expertise and competences in the manufacturing and processing of metallic materials are largely recognised.
WorldSteel Association
The International Institute of the Steel Industry
EUROFER
The European Federation of the Steel Industry
ESTEP
The European Steel Technology Platform, brings together all the major stakeholders in the European steel industry (steel manufacturers, universities and research institutions active in steel research, major users of steel, and public bodies like the European Commission and national governments)
RIES
(Research Initiative for European Steel Industry) , a common initiative of the four independent European steel research institutes (CRM in Belgium, CSM in Italy, Swerim in Sweden and VdEh-BFI in Germany) created under the patronage of the Research Committee of EUROFER
As a collective research centre recognised by the Belgian and Regional Authorities, CRM Group is also a member of:
UCRC
(Union of Collective Research Centres), the association representing at the Federal level the Belgian collective research organisations
Wal-Tech
An association regrouping the 19 collective research centres certified by the Walloon Region
VLOOT
(VLaamse Overkoepelende Organisatie van Technologie- & Innovatieverstrekkers), a structural overall collaboration between more than 20 technological and scientific innovation actors in Flanders
CRM Group is then involved in several initiatives and patrimonial joint ventures aiming at sharing infrastructure and/or equipment and competencies with other R&D bodies:
PiMW
(Pôle d’Ingénierie des Matériaux de Wallonie), in which CRM group, Liège University and Sirris are sharing infrastructure and pooling complementary skills under one roof to provide technical assistance in the field of innovative materials to regional companies, with a strong focus on SMEs; it is a showcase of advanced technologies thanks to technological breakthrough platforms such as the "additive manufacturing" platform
MPC
(Metal Processing Centre), a joint venture of OCAS and CRM Group, in which an extended range of lab equipments enables customers to synthesize tailor-made metallic alloys in small batches for advanced material applications
MRC
(Material Research Cluster Gent), an initiative in which seven partners (OCAS, Gent University, Sirris, BIL, Clusta, CRM, SIM and its division Flamac) share commun laboratories with a strong focus on metals; this cluster regroups state-of-the-art equipment for characterisation and testing from the nanoscale to largescale industrial components and structures and more than 200 scientists and technicians under one same roof
CReSus
(Centre for Resource Efficiency and Sustainability), a common initiative of CRM and Liège University-GeMMe aiming to strengthen collaborations at regional level as well as in the European initiatives such as Horizon 2020 and EIT/KIC on (primary and secondary) raw materials
CRM Group is also participating to several clusters, organisations and joint initiatives at regional, national or EU levels, including:
MECATECH
Innovation clusters in the Walloon region
GREENWIN
Innovation clusters in the Walloon region
TWEED
Innovation clusters in the Walloon region
Reverse Metallurgy
A Walloon platform of technological, industrial and scientific excellence in the field of recycling of metals
SPIRE
(Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy efficiency), a European Public Private Partnership (PPP), dedicated to innovation in energy and resource efficiency and created to meet and participate to the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union
EIT Raw Materials
CRM Group, together with Liège University and over 120 other European industrial, academic and research partners, is a member of the KIC (Knowledge and Innovation Community) EIT Raw Materials, covering a wide range of themes like exploration, mining, efficient use of raw materials in process manufacturing industry, recycling and substitution of critical raw materials
METNET
(Network for Extractive Metallurgy and Mineral Processing), a European network which has been created to offer to customers an access to pilot plants in order to scale-up ideas or concepts up to industrial practice
CRM is also a member of UWE (Union of the Walloon Enterprises)
