At SIM², our core mission is to accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral economy. One of Europe’s biggest challenges in achieving a clean transition is ensuring a stable supply of critical raw materials (CRM). The urgency of diversifying imports has been underscored by the Critical Raw Materials Act. In response, since 2023, the European Union has been strengthening its cooperation with Latin American countries on CRM. In line with this effort, SIM² has also strengthened its collaboration with Latin American partners on critical raw materials.
Why Latin America?
Of the 34 critical raw materials on the EU's list of CRM, 25 are extracted in Latin America. Latin America is rich in lithium and copper, both crucial for renewable energy and battery technologies used in laptops, smartphones, and electric vehicles. The Lithium Triangle—Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia—holds over 75% of the world’s lithium reserves, making the region a strategic partner for European research and innovation. Latin America mines nearly half of the world’s raw copper. With such an abundance of mineral resources and mining projects, Latin America presents numerous opportunities for metals and minerals research and innovation within SIM² research institute.
To lead our efforts in the region, we rely on Lieven Machiels, an expert in metallurgy and international projects. With 20 years at SIM², two years as a coordinator, and fluency in Spanish, Lieven has been actively building collaboration with Latin American partners for the past seven months. Now, we are excited to share some key milestones.
Sustainable lithium production
Our first priority in Latin America is sustainable production of lithium. A major achievement was the 1 year appointment of Dr. Nand Peeters to design custom processing flowsheets for Bolivia’s lithium brines. Our primary goal here is to develop a Global Gateway funding proposal for a four-year R&D program on lithium refining with Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB), the state-owned Bolivian company responsible for the exploitation of the Bolivian lithium deposits. Our secondary goal is to apply for Horizon Europe funding to establish a Joint EU-Latin America Lithium Processing and Refining Innovation Hub.
In parallel, we are developing a new bilateral R&D project with a leading Chilean mining company and exploring potential collaborations with key industry players in Chile and Argentina. Beyond the Spanish-speaking regions of Latin America, we have also submitted a research project proposal on lithium refining in Brazil, with funding decisions expected by March 2025.
Mine tailings & Slag valorization and remediation
Our second major focus is on reprocessing mine tailings for metal recovery and exploring their application in construction materials. By doing so, we help mining projects eliminate environmental liabilities. To drive these initiatives forward, we are partnering with local governments and copper producers. Currently, projects on innovative technologies to process slags and tailings are being developed in Mexico, Peru, and Chile. These efforts are supported by our exploration of funding opportunities from agencies such as CORFO (Chile), VLAIO (Flanders), and VLIR (Flanders’ international partnerships fund).
What's next?
With growing partnerships in Latin America, SIM² is committed to advancing sustainable metal and mineral processing solutions with Latin American partners. Stay tuned for more updates on our activities in Latin America.
