The FEMS General Assembly was unanimous in their agree­ment to admit ESM (Entwicklungsfonds Seltene Metalle, the Foundation for Rare Metals) to become the first FEMS Associate Member, subject to the terms of the membership grade being finalised at the next FEMS EC meeting.

The “Entwicklungsfonds Seltene Metalle” (ESM Foundation) is a Swiss non-profit organization founded in 1951. It is dedicated to support research and development activities in the field of Rare and Critical Elements, with a focus on their industrial applications. In pursuit of this goal, the Foundation sponsors and organizes conferences and workshops, publishes stud­ies and surveys, co-ordinates projects in the field of Rare and Critical Elements, and confers scholarships and educational grants in areas relevant to the Foundation’s topical focus.

ESM is a public interest foundation governed by Swiss Law. Its Board of Trustees represents a good balance of indus­trial and academic members. Among other responsibilities, the Board elects the president and chairman, adopts an annual plan of financial operation and defines the strategy. Day-to-day responsibilities are managed by the CEO who is selected by the Board.

ESM is operating within a national and international net­work of experts, partner institutes and organizations. Memberships of ESM include the EIT Raw Materials, the World Resources Forum Association, and the Swiss Academy of Technical Sciences. ESM is happy to join FEMS as an Associate Member and for the opportunity to exchange within this European network of materials experts.

ESM member details page

More information about ESM

ESM team photo

Members of the ESM team