Success of BCMaterials’ Annual Workshop on Critical Materials

The 2025 edition of BCMaterials’ annual workshop gathered nearly one hundred participants on November 19 in Leioa to review the latest advances and discuss critical materials, their applications, and their performance in demanding environments.

The program brought together leading experts from the Basque academic, research, and industrial ecosystem, who addressed the topic across four thematic areas. The event began with an overview of critical materials, their strategic importance, and the regulatory landscape—particularly within the European Union—with presentations by Daniel Salazar, Research Fellow at BCMaterials, and Elena Jubete, Business Developer for European Programs at CIDETEC Surface Engineering.

The workshop then shifted to the availability of critical materials, from extraction to recycling, featuring talks by Javier Gallo, Professor in the Department of Mining and Metallurgy at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), and Diana Mier Vasallo, Head of R&D at Sidenor.

Exploring the Applications

The program continued with sessions dedicated to applications of critical materials, critical technologies, and critical operating environments. The section on aeronautical and aerospace applications included contributions from Juan Ignacio Burgaleta, Deputy CEO of the Basque satellite company Satlantis; Amaia Calleja and Haizea González from the Advanced Aeronautical Manufacturing Center (CFAA) at UPV/EHU; and Pedro Álvarez, CEO of the technology center Lortek.

The final session focused on applications in the energy and industrial sectors, with four presentations addressing topics ranging from steel corrosion in offshore environments to battery technologies for terrestrial and space applications. Speakers included María Luisa Noó, Professor in the Department of Physics at UPV/EHU’s Faculty of Science and Technology; Maribel Arribas, Senior Researcher at Tecnalia; Qi Zhang, Ikerbasque Research Professor at BCMaterials; and Sergio Curiel, Systems Engineer at the spin-off company Lanzo Batteries.

Institutional Support

The workshop “New Materials for a Better Life! 2025” was opened by Adolfo Morais, Deputy Minister of Science and Innovation; Cristina Peña, Director of International Projects and coordinator with research centers at UPV/EHU’s Vice-Rectorate for Research; and Senentxu Lanceros-Méndez, Scientific Director of BCMaterials.

BCMaterials extends its gratitude to the Basque Government and the University of the Basque Country for their continued support of this event, a key annual milestone in the Basque materials science community.