News & Events

The ENICON 4th Capacity Building Webinar, titled Critical Raw Materials and Sustainable Metallurgy: Novel Refining Technologies and Advanced Simulation Tools”, will take place online on 8 December.

Registration remains open until 7 December 2025.

Registration form

Registered participants will receive an email with the link to attend the seminar.

Discover ENICON’s recent advancements in sustainable metallurgy and process simulation

Join us to explore innovative approaches to critical raw materials, electrifying metallurgical processes, and advanced simulation tools for techno-economic and environmental assessment through two high-level expert presentations.

  • Mineral and metal criticality in Europe’s energy transition, addressing essential materials and emerging refining technologies like ENICON’s electrifying metallurgy- Prof. Mari Lundström (AALTO University)-(14:00-15:00 CET).
  • Innovative tools for process simulation, Techno-economic and environmental assessment – an introduction to the SUPERPRO platform- Assoc. Professor Dr. Dimitris Ipsakis (TUC) (15:00-16:00 CET).

The webinar is addressing undergraduate and graduate students, early-stage researchers and professionals interested in advancing their expertise in sustainable metallurgy and process simulation.

Join the 2nd Capacity-Building Webinar of LITHOS project, focused on low-cost and sustainable routes for developing new pathways for processing and refining lithium in Europe.

The webinar features two high-level presentations followed by a brief Q&A:

“Strategies, Opportunities, and Challenges for the Development of LCIs for Battery Raw Materials” (11:00–12:00 CET)
Dr. Aina Mas Fons — Research Engineer, BRGM (France)
An overview of methods, opportunities and challenges for developing life-cycle inventories (LCIs) for battery raw materials

“LITHOS WP2: Preliminary findings on characterisation and beneficiation test work”
Dr. Jussi Liipo — Director, Geometallurgy & Mineralogy (12:00–13:00CEΤ )
Annukka Aaltonen Msc, Technology Manager, Metso (Finland)
Presentation of initial test results and early insights into mineral characterisation and beneficiation approaches being tested within LITHOS.

The webinar is addressed to:

  • undergraduate and graduate students
  • early-stage researchers
  • professionals interested in advancing their expertise in the fields of mineral processing and LCIs

Interested participants are invited to register here.

Registered participants will receive an email with the link for the webinar.

Save the date on Friday 28th of November 11:00–13:00 CET / Horizon Europe CICERO is organising   the 2nd Capacity Building Webinar entitled “Advances in Circular Hydrometallurgy – Insights from the HE CICERO Project”

Discover the latest insights and innovations in circular hydrometallurgy through two high-level presentations:

  • The 12 Principles of Circular Hydrometallurgy -Professor Koen Binnemans -KU-Leuven (11:00–12:00 CET)
  • Electrowinning of Metals from Aqueous Solutions: The Potential of Methane Sulfonic Acid as Electrolyte -Siri Marie Skaftun – SINTEF (12:00–13:00 CET)

This capacity building webinar aims to strengthen knowledge and skills in circular hydrometallurgy.

Target audience

It is addressed to undergraduate and graduate students, early-stage researchers, and professionals interested in advancing their expertise in circular hydrometallurgy.

Interested parties are invited to register here by 27/11/2025.

Registered participants will receive an email with the link for the seminar.

 

This workshop will examine how Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can support emerging processes in minerals and metals production at mid/low Technology Readiness Levels (TRL 4 – 7).

Conducting LCAs for lab or pilot scale processes presents unique challenges, from data gaps and high uncertainty to the difficulty of scaling-up results to industrial applications. Drawing on examples from Horizon Europe projects, the session will highlight how these challenges are being addressed and how early-stage LCAs can provide valuable insights to guide process development, scale-up, and decision-making.

Special thanks to Università/Politecnico di Torino organising this webinar, and representatives of BRGM (CICERO project) and TUC (LITHOS/EXCEED projects) involved in the programme.

Register to attend online

Documentary screening and a panel discussion at Cinema Aventure in Brussels on 17th November 2025 (18:00-20:00).

The LITHOS project is co-organising an event on the night before the kick off of EU Raw Materials Week which will also include a high level expert panel.

The event includes the screening of Europe’s Lithium Paradox documentary, which will be followed by a panel discussion addressing the role of lithium in energy transition, covering its environmental, economic, industrial, geopolitical and social dimensions, especially in the light of the recent export restrictions by China on lithium, graphite and rare earth materials and technology.

Register here

© visual: SIM2 KU LEUVEN

Hybrid event | 📍NH Brussels Carrefour de l’Europe | Rue Marche aux Herbes – Grasmarkt Straat, 110, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
60 in-person seats (first come, first served)  |  Unlimited online participation

This high-impact webinar, hosted by the Cluster Hub “Production of Raw Materials for Batteries from European Resources”, brings together over 20 EU-funded projects and 120+ organisations to present concrete results from across the battery raw materials value chain. The 2025 edition of the cluster workshop is co-organised by projects RELiEF, FREE4LIB, RESPECT and LITHOS.

Whether you’re in research, industry, or policy, this webinar will show you:

  • Which technological paths are proving effective, with data from Horizon Europe projects
  • Cross-sector dialogues featuring industry leaders, researchers and policy makers
  • Challenges and solutions in scaling up, environmental performance and social acceptance

Draft agenda

The session is designed to inform and inspire the research community, industrial innovators and policy shapers working toward a competitive, circular and resilient European battery ecosystem.

Why attend?
To see what’s working, where innovation is heading and how collaborative R&I is shaping Europe’s strategic autonomy in battery raw materials.

Participation details

Please note that in-person attendance is limited to 60 participants. Once this number is reached, physical registration will be closed. Online participation will remain available for those who wish to attend remotely.

Register here

The webinar Africa ‘s role in CRM mining and refining ” co-organised by CICEROLITHOS, ENICON, EXCEED,  AVANTIS  projects will take place online on 4th of June  2025.

The seminar will feature two insightful presentations from high level experts from Africa, Everjoy Muchefa Researcher & Process Engineer from University of Johannesburg and Professor Harmony Musiyarira, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).

The presentations dedicated to critical aspects of the mining sector in Africa, provide insightful analysis. The first presentation offers a reflective examination of artisanal and small-scale mining of lithium-bearing minerals. It elucidates the current practices, socio-economic consequences, and regulatory framework governing this sector. The second presentation covers the broader prospects and challenges associated with sustainable mining practices in the region. It addresses environmental concerns, governance dilemmas, and the and the need for responsible resource management.

These sessions aim to foster a deeper understanding of Africa’s complex mining dynamics and stimulate dialogue on sustainable and inclusive mining pathways.

If you are interested, please register at the following link, until 2/6/2025: link registration.

The registered participants will receive an email with the Zoom link.

Join projects RESPECT and GR4FITE3 during EU Green Week 2025 for an insightful webinar exploring how graphite—an essential raw material for battery technologies—can drive Europe’s clean energy transition. This session will address the critical challenges of securing a resilient, sustainable, and competitive supply chain for graphite.

Register here

Through expert presentations and a high-level panel discussion, this workshop we will explore:

  • Market trends, supply chain vulnerabilities, and regulatory frameworks.
  • Cutting-edge innovations in graphite recycling and purification.
  • How EU-funded projects like RESPECT and GR4FITE3 are fostering circular economy models and sustainability in battery manufacturing.

The webinar is co-organised by ENICON, EXCEED, CICERO, AVANTIS, LITHOS projects and will take place online on 29th of May 2025.

The seminar will prioritize international collaboration to foster global cooperation in CRM innovation and policy development. Two high level experts from USA – Prof. Z. Agioutantis (University of Kentucky) and Australia – Prof. G. Barakos (Curtin University) will emphasize the global perspective of CRM mining and research technologies.

More information

If you are interested, please register at the following link, until 27/5/2025. Registered participants will receive an email with the Zoom link.

Register here

The ENICON (https://enicon-horizon.eu) Horizon Europe funded research project, organizes the 3rd Capacity Building Seminar, on the 28th of May 2025.

The Capacity Building Seminar will be conducted virtually via webinar and is open to all interested individuals. The primary target audience for the seminar comprises graduate and postgraduate students, as well as early-stage researchers, whose research interests align with ENICON’s objectives are cordially invited to participate.

The 3rd ENICON’s capacity building seminar features two exciting lectures. A lecture on ‘Recovery and purification strategies for nickel and cobalt from primary and secondary raw materials’ will be delivered by Dr. Brecht Dewulf (SOLVOMET R&I Centre) and a talk on “Valorisation of sulfidic mine tailings in construction materials” will be given by Dr. Natália Pires Martins (VITO).

More information

If you are interested, please register at the following link, until 26/5/2025. Registered participants will receive an email with the zoom link.

Register here

Interested to join the Cluster Hub or learn more about this initiative?