For the first time in four decades, Italy is rebooting its domestic mining efforts with a new national exploration plan. The government has approved 14 research projects across regions from Piedmont to Sardinia, involving over 400 specialists and an initial funding package of €3.5 million.

The initiative, led by Italy’s Geological Survey (part of ISPRA, the Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), is aimed at reducing the country’s heavy reliance on imported critical raw materials.