On 5 February 2025, more than 150 invited guests, including a significant group of Serbian citizens and scientists, attended the avant-première of the new documentary film “Not in My Country”, followed by an interview with the film’s presenter and a high-level debate with both proponents and opponents of the project. In response to the high volume of journalistic inquiries about the documentary, and hostile social media messages challenging the integrity of the team responsible for the production of the documentary, SIM² KU Leuven hereby provides an updated statement.
Funding
The documentary “Not In My Country” is co-developed and fully financed by the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) in Belgium, specifically through SIM² KU Leuven, the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals. This interdisciplinary institute unites over 400 highly educated scientists from various fields, incl. geology, chemistry, engineering, law & economics.
Recognizing their pivotal role in achieving a climate-neutral society, SIM² is dedicated to advancing the sustainable production and recycling of critical metals and minerals through (i) research, (ii) education & (iii) wider-society learning. SIM²’s responsibilities include the development of science communication documentaries, for which it has been formally endorsed and commended by an independent International Panel that evaluated SIM²’s first 4 years of activities (cf. https://lnkd.in/envc7UJi)
The “Not In My Country” documentary film is a spin-off of a 2nd documentary, “Europe’s Lithium Paradox,” which will be launched in May 2025. This documentary addresses the opportunities and challenges of mining, refining, and recycling lithium (Li) in Europe, in line with the targets set forth in the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act. This film also explores how demand-side management can help in limiting primary Li demand. “Europe’s Lithium Paradox” will feature additional footage from Portugal, Finland, and Belgium.
Funding for “Europe’s Lithium Paradox” comes from Horizon Europe project funding, partially supplemented by internal KU Leuven funding and crowdfunding. The film is a formal deliverable in the Work Package “Communication and Dissemination” of the HE LITHOS project (https://lithos-horizon.eu/)
For both documentary films, SIM² leverages its internationally recognized expertise in lithium exploration, extraction, processing, refining & recycling. SIM² targets all possible primary and secondary lithium sources, incl. lithium hard-rock ores, (salt lake and geothermal) lithium brines, lithium-clay deposits, and EoL lithium-ion batteries and derived black mass.
SIM² has no financial interest in publishing these documentaries. It will not receive royalties or commercial income from the airing of these films on tv stations, streaming platforms, or social media channels. The production of these films is solely part of SIM²’s mandated commitment to “wider-society learning.”
Accusation of bias
Every successful university in Europe, without exception, works closely together with the private sector on a wide variety of research projects. Every successful university in Europe, without exception, has a tech-transfer office in order to allow the valorisation of academic research into society and industry. This is one of the three pillars of university tasks (i.e., “Service to society” next to Research and Education). Without collaboration with industry, university research would remain locked up in an ivory tower, having no impact in society.
As a leading academic institute in the field of critical metals, SIM² has funding relations with a multitude of companies, across the full mine-to-metal value chain. SIM² has research project collaborations with lithium companies worldwide, including and certainly not limited to Rio Tinto, which are active in the area of exploration, extraction, processing, refining and recycling. SIM² collaborates with companies in both Flemish-funded, EU-funded and bilaterally-funded projects, as is the case for any other successful university. This is a normal and standard situation.
For the avoidance of doubt, these SIM² research projects have no link whatsoever with the production of science communication documentaries, such as Not In My Country. As already indicated in the SIM² statement dated 4 February 2025 – and as repeated above – SIM² can categorically state that the funding for the production of Not In My Country is solely coming from internal funds. Put simply, Rio Tinto neither ordered this film nor paid for it.
As a consequence, no outside party or company, whether Rio Tinto, ElevenEs, Stellantis or otherwise, has had any influence on the making of this documentary. Any allegations suggesting that this is the case because there are company collaborations in place in terms of research projects are simply false, and based in a misunderstanding and/or misinterpretation of the funding models not only of SIM² and KU Leuven, but also all other universities in Europe.
Moreover, and significantly, such allegations also imply that no university nor university-contracted researcher in Europe would be able to provide any type of communication on any topic without being falsely accused of having a conflict of interest. In parallel, it would also mean that any type of applied research funded by government and/or private-sector funding would be automatically invalidated. Such a viewpoint, if accepted, would mean the end of all academic innovation and valorisation in society.
Peter Tom Jones, Director SIM², 07 Feb' 2025
