SIM² KU Leuven was represented at the EIT RawMaterials Summit 2026 by Elena Matveeva, Policy Manager, and Peter Tom Jones, Director of the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals. Held in Brussels from 19 to 21 May, the summit brought together policymakers, industry representatives, researchers, investors, and innovators from more than 55 countries to discuss the future of critical raw materials and industrial resilience in Europe.
Through its research centres, including SOLVOMET, SIM² KU Leuven works on sustainable technologies and international collaborations that support stronger and more resilient European raw materials value chains. In this way, the institute’s activities are closely aligned with the mission of the EIT RawMaterials Summit, which aims to strengthen Europe’s industrial competitiveness and reduce strategic dependencies in critical raw materials.
One of the key international participants at this year’s summit was TMK (Uzbekistan Technological Metals Complex), which presented its ongoing cooperation with European partners in the critical raw materials sector, as well as its technological developments and industrial projects.
During the panel session “The European Union’s Strategy for Diversifying Raw Material Supplies: Practical Experience and Industrial Approaches,” Amir Abidov, Deputy Chairman of the TMK Management Board for New Technology Development, Innovation, and Artificial Intelligence, highlighted Uzbekistan’s growing role as a reliable partner for Europe in the field of critical raw materials. He presented TMK’s work on supply chains related to tungsten, molybdenum, and rhenium, as well as the company’s integrated mine-metal-market approach and strategic projects connected to European industry.
The session also addressed practical cooperation projects between TMK and European partners, including investment initiatives, tungsten supply chains, rare earth element extraction technologies, and the development of joint industrial ventures.
Peter Tom Jones highlighted the importance of long-term and balanced industrial partnerships between Europe and Uzbekistan. He also emphasized the role of research and innovation collaborations in building more resilient and diversified critical raw materials supply chains for Europe.
In this context, SOLVOMET KU Leuven plays an important role through its expertise in sustainable extractive metallurgy, solvent extraction, hydrometallurgy, and critical raw materials recovery. Ongoing discussions between KU Leuven and TMK include potential joint research projects related to black shale, vanadium, and rare earth elements, as well as possible cooperation in training highly qualified specialists.
The summit once again demonstrated that stronger international cooperation between industry, research institutions, and policymakers will be essential for securing sustainable and diversified critical raw materials supply chains for Europe in the years ahead.
