Our society depends on large amounts of mineral resources – far more than most people realize. Global population growth, improvements in living standards and increasing industrialization are causing a dramatic increase in the need for mineral resources. The transition to a society where growth and development take place within the critical load limits of environmental systems and where products and services have fewer negative effects on the climate and environment than today (the green shift) intensifies this need. Norway has the resources and expertise to become a significant supplier of important mineral raw materials to a green global economy. The Faculty’s strategy therefore has the following goals:

NTNU’s research in mineral resources must be internationally recognized, must represent the great advantages of the Norwegian mining industry, and must contribute to sustainable value creation and social development both nationally and globally.

The commitment to mineral resources can be organized in four strategic research areas:

1. Geological raw materials for the next generation (mineral deposit geology, geophysics, resource modelling, advanced mineral characterization)
2. Mineral production of the future (mining, mineral processing, downstream processing, geometallurgy)
3. Minerals in the circular economy (system knowledge, urban mining, use of mining waste, mineral-based waste treatment solutions)
4.  Marine mineral resources (mineral deposit geology, resource assessment, prospecting, extraction technology). 

Focus on environment and sustainability is an integral part of all the areas.