What's Next MateriNex - 27 May 2025

Programme

Wake-Up Session (By invitation only)
Future-Proofing Flanders: Opportunities in Lithium Refining and Battery Recycling
09:30 - 10:00	Registration and Welcome Coffee
10:00 - 10:15	A fireside chat with Dr. Ir. Peter Tom Jones KU Leuven and Francesca Vanthielen, about Tom's intention to build bridges with this documentary between European civil society and the mining & metals production industry—rather than polarise and antagonise.
10:15 -11:15	Premiere Screening of the Documentary: *Europe's Lithium Paradox*
11:15 -12:00	Panel Discussion moderated by Francesca Vanthielen.
	Panellists: Geert Olbrechts, CTO & Executive Vice President Recycling, Umicore Kira Van den Ende, Policy Expert and Spokeswoman, Bond Beter Leefmilieu Kris Broos, Senior Expert Sustainable Materials, VITO Yanaika Denoyelle, Climate Consultant Ortelius/Econopolis and co-author of De Klimaatschok


Afternoon Session (Open to all stakeholders )
Advancing Materials Science Research with Artificial Intelligence
12:00 - 13:00	Registration, Lunch & Networking
13:00 - 13:15	Welcome and Brief Review of MateriNex's First Year of Operation. Speaker: Johan Vangrunderbeek, Coordinator MateriNex
13:15 - 14:45	KEYNOTES: Prof. Dr. Ing. Mesfin Haile Mamme - VUB - SUME Materials Discovery: The Need for a Paradigm Shift Prof. Dr. Dr. Danny Vanpoucke - University Hasselt - IMO-IMOMEC Lab-scale Machine Learning: Tales of the Good, the Bad and the Average Prof. Dr. Sara Bals - University of Antwerp - EMAT Digital and High-Throughput Transmission Electron Microscopy for Materials Science: Seeing is Believing, to Measure is to Know
14:45 - 15:15	Refreshment Break & Networking
15:15 -16:45	NEW & NOTABLE: Innovative AI Solutions for the Materials Industry: Emerging Pioneers Showcase Their Latest Tools. Concurrent Session: Kurt Peys, General Director of Team Bedrijfstrajecten at VLAIO (Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship). Kurt Peys will be interviewed between the pitches from young companies, discussing the VLAIO's support tools and how these resources can benefit emerging businesses. Speakers: Dr. ir. Michael Sluydts, CEO ePotentia From Real Scarcity to Synthetic Abundance: how generative AI can complete materials datasets. Hendrik Bostoen, Co-Founder, ReqCon Tender Intelligence: Data-Driven Competitive Advantage. Dr. ir. Ahmed Selema, Technology Director, USP3D Engineering Tomorrow’s Electric Motors with The Power of 3D Printing. Andries Paesen , Co-Founder & CEO, ResultX Making ESG accessible for SMEs. Dr. Stefan Jacques, Co-Founder, Curf Closing the data gap: AI‑driven quality control with synthetic data.
16:45 - 17:00	Closing Remarks MateriNex
17:00 - 18:00	Networking Reception
End

Event location

Vestar Antwerp