Critical Minerals Challenge Centre Launches with a Vision for a Greener Future
On Tuesday 15 July, the University of Exeter officially launched the Critical Minerals Challenge Centre at the St Austell Conference Centre. The event, titled “Innovating Together in the Green Economy,” brought together over 50 attendees from academia, industry, and civic organisations to explore the future of critical minerals and their role in the UK’s transition to Net Zero.
The Centre, backed by £5.6 million in funding from UKRI, is a bold new initiative that brings together transdisciplinary expertise across ecology, sustainable finance, social science, policy, and engineering. Its mission is to drive innovation in critical mineral extraction and processing, working closely with industry to ensure the UK’s supply chains are resilient, ethical, and environmentally responsible.
Meet the Innovation Fellows
A highlight of the morning session was the introduction of the Centre’s Innovation Fellows, each bringing unique expertise to the Centre’s research themes and industry collaborations:
Dr Lebogang Babedi recently joined from Queen’s University, Canada, and holds a PhD in Geology from Stellenbosch University. He is working with industry partner Petrolab on TWP1, focusing on flotation chemistry, surface spectroscopy, and mineralogy to better understand mineral processing behaviour.
Dr Eva Marquis, working on TWP2 with Cornwall Resources, previously contributed to the Met4Tech project at Exeter. With a PhD from the University of Brighton, her research explores the genesis of critical metal ore deposits and the security of supply for critical materials.
Dr Lesego Senjoba is collaborating with Geolorn on TWP3. She holds a PhD in Mining Engineering from Akita University, Japan, and specialises in predictive maintenance and real-time optimisation in drilling using AI technologies.
Dr Dave Hudson supports the Nature Positive Solutions theme. With a background in biodiversity monitoring, including environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling and natural history surveys, his previous research has focused on the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in badgers and the effects of inbreeding in wild populations.
Dr Chenyan Lyu leads research in Sustainable Finance and the Circular Economy. With a PhD in Energy Economics from Copenhagen Business School, her work spans energy economics, climate justice, and sustainable finance.
Dr Christie Van Tinteren, a social anthropologist from Cornwall, brings deep expertise in industrial and community relations. His PhD research explored the dynamics of fishing and tourism in Newlyn and Mousehole. At the Centre, he will focus on Social Policy and the Future of Work, drawing on his experience with government departments in justice, health, and environmental policy.
As well as the industry partners that are co-leading the work packages, we are working closely with Cornish Lithium and others across the Centre’s activities.
Collaborative Conversations and Breakout Sessions
The Centre includes a work programme of smaller projects between the companies/organisations and the innovation fellows. There will also be upcoming opportunities to propose new aligned projects and collaborations that will leverage additional funding. We were delighted to welcome Debra Jones from Innovate UK Business Connect, who told the participants about the IUK products and services ecosystem and several of the funding programmes and competitions.
Following a networking lunch, attendees participated in a series of breakout sessions facilitated by Centre members. These sessions focused on key themes including; The Future of Mining, Industrial Strategy and Critical Minerals, Mine Waste, Circular Economy and Exploration Techniques.
The discussions generated valuable insights and ideas, which will be fed into the Centre’s work packages, policy activities, and ongoing research strategy.
Looking Ahead
The Critical Minerals Challenge Centre has already partnered with 30 organisations and is actively seeking to expand its network. Over the next four years, the Centre will work closely with industry to support the UK’s green transition, with the goal of becoming a self-sustaining entity by the end of its initial funding period.
“Today marks a significant step for this new Centre,” said Professor Frances Wall, Project Lead. “Having a room full of people from diverse backgrounds and experience related to critical minerals has sparked some great conversations and ideas. We really want to work hand-in-hand with businesses and organisations both locally and nationally to tackle these problems, and I hope this event is just the start of some great relationships.”