Summit Sessions

The Future Workforce: What Europe’s Next Generation Expects from the Materials Industry

Moderated by
Dolores Volkert

Europe’s raw materials sector faces a talent crisis, but the people who are the answer are not yet in the room, until now. For the first time at the EIT RawMaterials Summit, the stage spotlights the next generation. Young representatives from EIT RawMaterials-run education programmes, including the EIT Higher Education Initiative (HEI), Girls Go STEM, and the EIT-labeled master’s programmes, take the floor to deliver rapid-fire insights on what draws emerging talents to careers in the materials sector — and what drives them away. The insights they surface on skills gap, career paths and purpose and workplace culture are direct signals to future employers, educators and policymakers on what the sector must adapt to strengthen Europe’s talent pipelines.

21.05.26, 11:30am - 12:15pm
Auditorium
Add to Calendar 2026-05-21 11:30:00 EIT RawMaterials Summit 2026: The Future Workforce: What Europe’s Next Generation Expects from the Materials Industry Europe’s raw materials sector faces a talent crisis, but the people who are the answer are not yet in the room, until now. For the first time at the EIT RawMaterials Summit, the stage spotlights the next generation. Young representatives from EIT RawMaterials-run education programmes, including the EIT Higher Education Initiative (HEI), Girls Go STEM, and the EIT-labeled master’s programmes, take the floor to deliver rapid-fire insights on what draws emerging talents to careers in the materials sector — and what drives them away. The insights they surface on skills gap, career paths and purpose and workplace culture are direct signals to future employers, educators and policymakers on what the sector must adapt to strengthen Europe’s talent pipelines. Rue Bara 175, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium, The Egg, Auditorium RAW MATERIALS http://eitrmsummit.com/eit-rawmaterials-summit-2026/future-workforce-what-europes-next-generation-expects-materials Europe/Brussels public

Session Speakers

Katrin Süring

PhD Candidate Technical Biocatalysis, Institute of Technical Biocatalysis - TUHH

Kelly Papadopoulou

(GGS Alumni and Ambassador), MEng - Electrical

Riina Salmimies

CEO, Sofi Filtration