Dirk Vangeneugden

Dirk Vangeneugden

Valorisation Director Materials & Chemistry, VITO

Dirk Vangeneugden is Valorisation Director Materials & Chemistry at VITO, Belgium’s independent research organisation for sustainable innovation. He holds a Master’s degree and a PhD in Chemistry (KU Leuven and University of Hasselt). With over 25 years of experience at VITO, Dirk combines scientific expertise with strategic business leadership. He has played key roles in shaping research and innovation programmes in chemical catalysis and sorption, CO₂ capture and utilisation, and advanced materials for next-generation batteries. His expertise spans surface engineering, coatings, additive manufacturing, and lightweight composites. As inventor on more than 25 patent applications, he has a strong track record in intellectual property strategy, technology valorisation, and industrial technology transfer. He actively drives partnerships with industry and supports the creation of spin-offs to translate research into sustainable economic impact.

Upcoming Sessions

Auditorium

Add to Calendar 2026-05-20 11:00:00 EIT RawMaterials Summit 2026: EU Strategy to Diversify Raw Materials Supply: Lessons from the Ground The stakes are clear: Europe imports nearly 100% of its rare earth elements, over 70% of its lithium, with China dominating global processing capacity across most critical materials categories. By 2030, the CRMA mandates that no single non-EU country supplies more than 65% of any strategic raw materials consumed in the EU, demanding urgent action. This session asks what that action actually looks like on the ground. What are the concrete steps, strategic partnerships, and hard lessons from implementation so far? The discussion examines how resource partnerships must be anchored in Europe’s industrial needs — aligning upstream extraction and processing with downstream manufacturing demand, and what it takes for research collaboration in critical areas like rare earth separation to translate into active projects. From Albania to Uzbekistan, European and partner-country voices share their successes and challenges, and how the CRM Facility can drive results by identifying the right partners, catalysing innovation, and accelerating project development. Rue Bara 175, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium, The Egg, Auditorium RAW MATERIALS https://eitrmsummit.com/eit-rawmaterials-summit-2026/eu-strategy-diversify-raw-materials-supply-lessons-ground Europe/Brussels public

EU Strategy to Diversify Raw Materials Supply: Lessons from the Ground

Moderated by

Peter Handley

Upcoming Sessions

Amir Abidov

Francesca Porcelli

Katarina Öquist

Peter Tom Jones