A HCSS delegation was present at the 10th edition of Raw Materials Week consisting of Michel Rademaker, Irina Patrahau and Jesse Kommandeur. The EU Raw Materials Week is an annual event organised by the European Commission. The 2025 edition took place in Brussels form 17-21 November. It gathers over 1000 stakeholders from governments, industry, civil society, academia and research to discuss policies and initiatives in the field of raw materials in the EU and globally.
Detailed agenda here.
On November 18th, HCSS Deputy Director Michel Rademaker was a panelist at the High Level Conference on Raw Materials Session 2: Critical raw materials and European security: Strategic autonomy in a shifting world.
- Ms Inka Guixà Fisas, CEO, La Farga
- Mr. Charles Dijon, Senior Vice President & Representative of the Executive Board, Business Development Europe, Rheinmetall
- Mr Pierre Alain Gautier, Senior Vice President Corporate Affairs, Eramet
- Mr. Michel Rademaker, Deputy Executive Director, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies
- Mr Christian Kaunert, Professor of International Security, Dublin City University
Watch the livestream here:
On November 19th, HCSS Strategic Analysts Irina Patrahau and Jesse Kommandeur were part of a presentation by NMO (Netherlands Materials Observatory) where Elmer Rietveld presented DOMINO – The Dutch Observer for Materials Intelligence and Operations. This took place in the session ‘Monitoring critical raw materials supply chains: Enhancing early warning systems and company risk preparedness’.
On November 20th, Irina Patrahau moderated both panels of the session ‘Security of supply for EU defence: How recycling can be a part of the solution’.
Moderator (both panels): Irina Patrahau, Chair of the Energy Security and Critical Minerals programmes, HCSS
Panel 1: How can we strengthen Security of Supply through circularity?
- Mr. Ingo Nestmann, Head of Nickel and Special Alloys Divison, Siegfried Jacob Metallwerke
- Mr. Mathieu Schwander, IF CEED Programme Manager, EDA
- Dr. Roland Gauß, EIT Raw Materials
Panel II: What are the conditions needed for the development of secure and circular defence value chains for critical raw materials? (MoD requirements? investment by the defence industry? Co-funding? technical progress? etc.)
- Ms. Eva Axelsson, Chief Sustainability Officer & Head of Group Sustainability, SAAB
- Mr. Tommaso Cecchini, Vice President Purchasing – Risk Management, Rheinmetall
- Mr. Raphael Danino-Perraud, Research Fellow, Institut de Recherche Stratégique de l’Ecole Militaire (IRSEM)
One of our Subject Matter Experts, Peter Handley (Strategic Advisor, Energy, Climate and Critical Raw Materials) was also busy with Critical Raw Materials during the same week in Brussels.
- Peter Handley was moderor for the session ‘Securing Strategic Value Chains: The Role of Lithium, Antimony, Gallium and Graphite Materials in Europe’s Green and Digital Transition’ at The International Antimony Association Conference on November 17th.
- Peter Handley was a panelist at the European Aluminium Summit, on November 18th where he participated in a panel session that explored the balance between sustainability and economic pragmatism in the EU’s long-term transition strategy, assessing how this shift impacts supply chains strategy, trade relations, and regulatory frameworks.
Related Content
