Elena Matveeva, Policy Manager, and Peter Tom Jones, Innovation Manager at SOLVOMET KU Leuven, have just returned from the EIT RawMaterials Summit 2026, where they represented the HEPHAESTUS project. They returned with a new energy after reconnecting with long-time colleagues and meeting many people active in raw material industry from around the globe.
Held in Brussels from 19 to 21 May 2026, the summit brought together more than 1,000 participants from over 55 countries, including policymakers, industry representatives, investors, startups, and researchers working across the raw materials value chain.
The discussions made one thing very clear: Europe can no longer afford to underestimate the strategic importance of critical raw materials and industrial resilience. Steel and metallurgy were central topics throughout the event, especially the challenge of keeping the European steel sector competitive while moving towards climate neutrality. Topics such as green hydrogen, electric arc furnaces, circular processing routes, and raw material security were discussed extensively.
As Peter Tom Jones warned during the summit: “We are sleepwalking towards the abyss.” This means that the EU has should finally wake up to the need for action on critical raw materials (CRM).
Projects such as HEPHAESTUS show that practical solutions for CRM already exist. The project focuses on improving the valorisation of steel industry residues through integrated processing routes capable of recovering valuable metals and mineral fractions. Through the technologies developed within HEPHAESTUS, around 8.6 ktons of metal alloy containing iron, chromium, nickel, manganese, vanadium, and other alloying elements can be returned to the steel industry. In parallel, more than 10 ktons of primary raw materials needed for mineral wool production, such as silica sand, basalt, and limestone, can be replaced by recovered secondary materials.
The project also contributes to zinc recovery through the EZINEX process, which can regenerate around 560 tons of pure metallic zinc from steel industry residues. In addition, the HEPHAESTUS approach enables the recovery and direct recycling of critical raw materials present in steel dusts, including tungsten and vanadium, even when selective separation is not applied.
Over the two days, Elena Matvejeva and Peter Tom Jones exchanged perspectives with partners from industry, EU institutions, governments, universities, and startups who all share a common understanding: Europe needs stronger cooperation across the raw materials sector.
One message shared during the summit by EIT Chairman Stefan Dobrev stayed with us: “When you need help, the first thing you need is a friend.”
This idea captures very well what innovation communities should stand for today. The European steel sector needs this kind of collaboration more than ever. With 10 interdisciplinary partners across three countries, the HEPHAESTUS consortium is built exactly around this principle.