On May 5th, Tesmet, in collaboration with METLEN, launched a two-day workshop as part of the HARARE research project, dedicated to fourth-year and fifth-year students of the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at NTUA. The aim was clear: to inspire the next generation of metallurgists through direct engagement with leading experts working on EU-funded research projects such as HARARE.

The first day of the workshop, hosted at the Library of the National Technical University of Athens in Zografou Campus, was organized by Tesmet and brought together HARARE partners from academia, research centers, and industry. Through a series of thought-provoking presentations, HARARE served as a real-life case study, helping students explore challenges in the metallurgical sector and discover innovative approaches in sustainable metallurgy.

The day featured exciting speeches from HARARE experts:

• Casper Van der Eijk from SINTEF spoke about the case of “Decarbonizing the Norwegian metallurgical industry”, presenting the more recent technological advances taking place in Norway, a global leader in decarbonization projects
• Martin Adendorff from Linde gave a concentrated and highly educational speech on “Hydrogen safety, supply, and the status of its use in high-temperature metallurgical processes”. A truly unmissable crash-course on Hydrogen for Metallurgists.
• Yiannis Pontikes from KU Leuven excited and provoked students and fellow speakers with his interactive speech on “How are industrial symbiosis, Verbund, Swiss-Army knife, and bauxite residue all connected?”. What a ride that was…
• Athina Preveniou, Sofia Papanastasi & Konstantinia Papadimitriou from Admiris concluded the Workshop with a detailed speech on– “Sourcing and mapping of input materials, LCA methodology, and HARARE product markets”, linking the technological advances with their techno-economical concepts.

Fifteen enthusiastic students participated in the event, engaging in lively discussions, exchanging ideas with the speakers, and gaining valuable insights into career paths and industry trends.

The workshop successfully bridged academic knowledge with industrial practice, offering a unique opportunity for young metallurgists to envision their place in the future of sustainable innovation.

Special thanks to Casper Van der Eijk for capturing and sharing the moments of the first day through his photos.