In December 2024, the annual General Assembly of SIM² brought together over 25 participants, including 11 professors, for a day of exciting updates and brainstorming.
The event opened with a warm welcome and a comprehensive status update from Peter Tom Jones, who shared a major milestone: SIM² received a "strong pass" from KU Leuven for the renewal of its formal recognition as a KU Leuven Institute—a proof its continued excellence in research and innovation.
The agenda featured two engaging pitch presentations:
- Thomas Cardinaels (Research Director Materials & Chemistry at VITO and KU Leuven Professor) showcased innovative developments in materials and chemistry research at VITO.
- Thomas van Gerve from Olivier Namur’s research group, presented the use of SEM-EDX for forensic geometallurgy, with examples from the Horizon Europe AVANTIS and ENICON projects.
A presentation on SIM2 day-to-day activities was delivered by Liuba Lukina (scientific project manager within Solvomet/SIM2, while Elena Matvejeva (policy manager SIM2) provided insights into the institute’s impactful policy work.
The assembly concluded with a dynamic brainstorming session that explored joint project opportunities under MateriNex, Horizon Europe, and EIT RawMaterials funding schemes. Discussions also touched on potential collaborations with partners in Africa and Latin America, focusing on advancing innovation in the raw materials sector worldwide.
This year’s General Assembly not only highlighted SIM²'s achievements but also fostered meaningful connections and strategic planning for future endeavors. It reinforced SIM²’s role as a leading hub for cutting-edge research and global collaboration.
