International Raw Materials Institute (IRMI)

The International Raw Materials Institute (IRMI) is a transdisciplinary research and innovation platform dedicated to sustainably explorating, managing, and governing mineral resources. IRMI connects science, policy, industry, and society to address global resource transitions and sustainability challenges. IRMI also examines how raw materials function as strategic assets within the global political economy.

IRMI identifies potential vulnerabilities and systemic risk dimensions in global raw-materials systems by adopting a comprehensive supply-chain and systems perspective and applying state-of-the-art research methods. This includes analyzing geoeconomic dynamics such as strategic dependencies, critical supply-chain chokepoints, and emerging patterns of asymmetric interdependence in global markets. IRMI’s transdisciplinary approach integrates knowledge from both scientific research and practical experience to develop robust and actionable insights.

Exploring new scientific territory also requires critically reflecting on and questioning established assumptions. One example is the dynamics of mineral reserves and resources. Through rigorous scientific analysis, the IRMI team has demonstrated that several projections of raw-material availability—such as those concerning phosphate rock—were based on simplified assumptions and static  models that fail to capture the dynamic nature of resource systems.

The International Raw Materials Institute (IRMI), formerly the Transdisciplinarity Laboratory for Sustainable Mineral Resources (SMR TdLab), is one of the three core research areas of the Research Lab for Global Futures and Complex Systems.

Established in 2016 at the University for Continuing Education Krems (formerly Danube University Krems), the laboratory initially focused on global food security and the sustainable management of phosphorus, a critical and finite resource that underpins modern agricultural production. Based on its origins in the international Global TraPs initiative (Global Transdisciplinary Processes for Sustainable Phosphorus Management), launched in 2011, the SMR TdLab developed a systems-oriented research program to understand and improve the global phosphorus supply chain, from phosphate rock extraction and processing to fertilizer use and recycling. 

Recognizing that approximately half of global crop production relies on mineral phosphorus fertilization, the team examined resource efficiency, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and the long-term availability of phosphate resources. In 2022, the laboratory took the lead in a significant scientific international collaboration with the Global Phosphorus Institute, establishing the Phosphate Data and Knowledge Hub (P-DAKH). This global platform integrating data, science, and stakeholder knowledge on phosphorus systems.

Over time, IRMI has expanded its research beyond phosphate rock to encompass critical raw materials such as nickel, cobalt, and uranium, as well as broader mineral and agricultural commodities. The laboratory integrates the analysis of resource cycles and economic dynamics into its work. This expansion reflects IRMI’s commitment to a comprehensive systems perspective on critical raw materials and their role in achieving sustainable and resilient resource governance. 

Current research builds on this foundation by advancing supply-chain and stakeholder-centered systems analyses, including forward-looking scenario development in emerging and contested fields such as seabed and deep-sea mining. This work contributes to informed decision-making in complex and uncertain resource environments.