On 5-6 November 2025, partners of the HEPHAESTUS project, NTUA, Admiris and Larco, took part in the 10th edition of the Greek Raw Materials Community Dialogue in Athens. The event was organised by the EIT RawMaterials Greece Representative and celebrated ten years of bringing together the Greek and European raw materials community.

This anniversary edition focused on “Fostering a Strong and Innovative Raw Materials Industry.” For two days, policymakers, industry representatives, researchers and academics discussed how to strengthen industrial resilience, encourage innovation and move towards more sustainable practices. In the current European context, these conversations are not abstract. They are very concrete and necessary.

The EIT RawMaterials Greece Representative acts as the official national contact point for EIT RawMaterials. Established in 2017 under EIT RawMaterials and the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), it connects academia, industry and policymakers with European initiatives across the raw materials value chain. Its vision is clear: a resilient and sustainable raw materials sector where Greece plays a leading role in European innovation.

NTUA was represented by, among others, Konstantinia Papadimitriou, Magdalini Stavrianou, Antonis Peppas and Dimitris Sparis.

The topics discussed during the Dialogue connect very naturally with HEPHAESTUS. The project represents a collaborative effort to transform steelmaking byproducts into valuable secondary raw materials. By recovering metals from electric arc furnace dust and other residues, HEPHAESTUS reduces landfill, improves circularity in the metallurgical industry and supports Europe’s strategic autonomy in critical raw materials.

For HEPHAESTUS, being present at events like this is not only about visibility. It is about staying part of the real discussion on Europe’s industrial future. It is about making sure that research is aligned with policy, and that innovation can actually move from laboratory to industry. This is how stronger and more resilient value chains are built.