Courage, Confidence and Collaboration at Partner Day 2025
With attendance doubling compared to the previous year, Partner Day 2025 brought new and long-standing partners together in Brussels to connect, share successes, and set the stage for future collaboration.
Irene Ruiz-Oria, Agile Organisation Director at Atlantic Copper, presents the success of the Open Innovation Challenge with EIT RawMaterials to a packed audience in Brussels
Partner Day 2025 filled the Skyline venue in Brussels with fresh energy and conversation as new and long-standing partners gathered to connect. With attendance doubling compared to last year and a partner-focused format on the agenda, the event set the stage for open exchange and future collaboration.
After an overview of EIT RawMaterials’ path to long-term sustainability from its leadership, the first day put partners firmly front and centre. EIT RawMaterials business developers and experts from Innovation, Education, Finance and Funding introduced the new value proposition developed in 2025 for partners, before handing the floor to partners to share how they have benefited from EIT RawMaterials’ services and participating in partner projects.
Atlantic Copper, Spain’s leading copper producer, explained how the Open Innovation Challenge for Talent has helped attract and connect with new talent. Irene Ruiz-Oria, Agile Organisation Director at Atlantic Copper, said:
“This initiative has proven to be a powerful tool - it helps us identify and attract talent, positions Atlantic Copper as an employer of choice, and strengthens our connections with academia for future collaboration.”
Gonzalo García San Miguel, President of El Moto, a strategic tungsten mining project in central Spain, described how support from the EIT RawMaterials-led European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) has helped secure financing, technical expertise, and offtake agreements, moving the fully permitted project closer to construction in 2025.
Dutch scale-up E-magy highlighted how two KAVA projects have supported its journey to commercial scale. John Davis, Programme Manager at E-magy, said: “The KAVA projects allowed us to prove that our process works with European raw material suppliers, demonstrate our recycling process at pilot scale, and show customers we can scale production to meet future demand.”
Nauja Bianco, Board Member, Greenland Resources presenting the CRM Facility
Other contributions came from Eramet, the University of Padova, UP Catalyst, and Greenland Resources, sharing their successes on collaboration to tackle mining safety, close Europe’s skills gap, scale CO₂-to-graphite technology, and diversify Europe’s critical raw materials supply.
Following the presentations, representatives from 14 of the 65 new partner organisations that joined in 2025 took to the stage for short, lively introductions, a format that helped break the ice and get conversations started.
A bright future ahead
In their fireside chat, EIT RawMaterials CEO, Managing Director Bernd Schäfer, Emmo Meijer, Chair of the EIT RawMaterials Governing Board, and EIT Governing Board Member Stefan Dobrev shared a strongly optimistic outlook for EIT RawMaterials, crediting the strength the network has built over the last decade.
Bernd Schäfer, Emmo Meijer, Peter Handley (Moderator) and Stefan Dobrev (l-r) during the fireside chat
Dobrev underlined that EIT will increasingly prioritise projects with political relevance, with raw materials firmly in focus. He encouraged partners to be ambitious:
“Keep it up, leverage the safe space for innovation you have created, and take the courage to do great new things.”
Schäfer reflected on the milestone achievements from the past decade, from the launch of ERMA and the European Raw Materials and Advanced Academies to leadership of the Critical Raw Materials Facility, which together have delivered hundreds of projects and set a benchmark for the funding of our partners. He expressed confidence in EIT RawMaterials’ transition to financial independence, with the 2026-2028 business plan forming the bridge to 2030 and beyond:
“There is no organisation globally that can grant this continuity, and we have hardly scratched the surface of what is possible,” he said.
Meijer reflected on six years as Chair of the EIT RawMaterials Governing Board, noting that after a distinguished career as an R&D and innovation leader, it is “the most impactful platform I have worked with.”
Following the discussion, Didier Zimmermann, Director of Business Development and Fundraising at EIT RawMaterials, stressed that the organisation is far more than a funding source—it offers a complete package of new services developed this year to help partners move from first idea to market success. As an example, he unveiled the new Key Account Manager model, giving every partner a single point of contact backed by a dedicated team across innovation, education, and business.
New methods and a new platform
Partner Day also featured the launch of the Minerals and Metals Intelligence Platform, presented by EIT RawMaterials Business Development Executive Noemi Boldrini. This new tool will give partners one-stop access to expert-driven, interactive data and insights to help explore markets, spot trends early, and make well-informed decisions across the raw materials value chain, when it is fully operational in early 2026.
Dr Deeba Ansari, Science and Technology Director, Imerys, presents during the Reverse Pitching Session
Day two introduced the Reverse Pitching Session, a new format where companies shared their most pressing challenges with the audience, including start-ups, researchers, and industry peers.
Imerys used the session to share one of its biggest hurdles: reducing the carbon footprint of its energy-intensive processes. The challenge triggered a lively exchange, with contributions from TU Freiberg, Blue Skies Minerals, and LKAB offering ideas ranging from retrofitting existing equipment to exploring alternative energy sources. The discussion not only generated practical suggestions but also highlighted opportunities for joint projects to move the solutions forward.
