Circular
Wallonia
Days 2025
50 SHADES OF MINERALS
Extending & Improving
Mineral Resources Lifespans
Event in English with French translation
21 & 22 MAY 2025
With the support of
In collaboration with
The “Circular Wallonia Days” 2025
50 SHADES OF MINERALS
Extending & Improving Mineral Resources Lifespans
| Opportunities, Challenges & Perspectives |
Welcome to the 3rd edition of the Circular Wallonia Days!
The Circular Wallonia Days 2025 is a two-day international event taking place on 21 & 22 May 2025 in Mons, Wallonia (BE).
As Wallonia takes over the Presidency of the Greater Region* for 2025-2026, it seizes this opportunity to lead discussions on achieving true mineral circularity with all European regions.
A region at the forefront of innovation and spearheading groundbreaking initiatives in mineral circularity, Wallonia offers a unique opportunity for the European mineral industry to engage in collaborative, innovative projects in the circular minerals value chain.
*this includes the Walloon region and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (Belgium), the former Lorraine region, now Grand-Est (France), the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Länders of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland (Germany)
Together, let’s create a European circularity of the mineral materials!
2 Days
CONNECTING REGIONAL ECOSYSTEMS TO ACHIEVE STRATEGIC AUTONOMY FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
The circular economy concept transcends national frontiers, demanding a pan-European strategy to optimise resource utilisation and foster collaboration amongst neighbouring nations and regions. In line with Circular Wallonia, the comprehensive circular economy blueprint devised by the Walloon Government, and with the brand new European Clean Industrial Deal, a raft of measures has been implemented. These initiatives place particular emphasis on the construction materials sector, encompassing both virgin and recycled mineral resources. This sector represents a cornerstone of Wallonia’s priority value chains, underscoring the region’s commitment to sustainable development and resource efficiency.
Why Attend?
The event aims to connect regional ecosystems from all over the EU, fostering dynamic industrial partnerships along the value chain of mineral materials. It provides a unique opportunity to showcase projects and exchange good practices in addressing one of Europe’s most pressing challenges: achieving strategic autonomy for construction materials. While rooted in the Greater Region, the conference is designed to engage European industry players, clusters, and research actors in a dialogue to jointly explore actions, partnerships, and projects aligned with European priorities.
The event will highlight the following aspects:
- Regional Leadership: As Wallonia assumes the Presidency of the Greater Region, te event showcases regional commitment to driving discussions on true circularity in the construction sector
- Innovation Showcase: It provides a platform to present innovative projects in the mineral industry in the European regions, positioning Europe as a world leader in future materials autonomy
- Knowledge Exchange: The event facilitates sharing of best practices and experiences available within the European Union, fostering collaboration and advancement in circular techniques
- Economic Opportunities: It offers a unique chance for the European mineral industry to engage in discussions about collaborative projects in Wallonia, a region at the forefront of innovation in mineral circularity.
Who is it for?
The Circular Wallonia Days 2025 is open to all stakeholders in the circular minerals value chain:
- Industry professionals in the construction and materials sector
- Policymakers and legislators
- Researchers and innovators
- Eco-design specialists
- Waste management experts
- Sustainability professionals
- Regional ecosystem representatives from across the EU
- Others
Event Schedule
Wednesday
21
21.05.2025 @ 9:30 AM
DAY 1 – Meet the Speakers
Van der Valk Congres & Spa Hotel | Mons
From 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. / Used language : English
Speakers
Pierre-Yves JEHOLET, Walloon Vice-President and Minister of Economy, Employment, Training and Industry
Nicolas MARTIN, Mayor of Mons
David LAMY, CEO Tradecowall, President of GreenWin
Katharina KNAPTON-VIERLICH, Head of Unit Construction, DG GROW, European Commission
Chris VAN DE VOORDE, Circular Economy Expert, Co-Founder of the Circular Value Institute, Flanders, Belgium
Jos BROUWERS, Full Professor and Chair of Building Materials at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), The Netherlands
Olga MARTIN GARCIA, General Director, ACLIMA, Basque Environmental Cluster, Spain
Asier ETXEBARRIA ZULUETA, Project Technical Expert, ACLIMA, Basque Environmental Cluster, Spain
Yury VILLAGRAN, Researcher at VITO (Franders, Belgium)
Niels HULBOSCH, R&D Expert, Unit Structural Works – Concrete Technology, BuildWise, Belgian Innovation Center in the Construction
Ivan IGNATOVIĆ, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Serbia
Thijs LAMBRECHTS, Doctoral Candidate, Built Environment, Innovative Stractural Design, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), The Netherlands
Alexandre FOLMER, Project Coordinator Greater Green+, Grand Est Développement, regional agency for industrial transformation, France
Jean-Marc ALDRIC, Director Department of Soil and Waste, Public Service of Wallonia
Stéphane NEIRYNCK, General Director Centre Pierre et Terre, Wallonia
Loïc DELHUVENNE, Deputy Director at the Territorial Development Agency (IDETA), Wallonia
Sacha DRUART, Product Innovation and Strategy Manager, Heidelberg Materials, Belgium
Elise AUBREY, Innovation Lead, Carmeuse, Belgium
Johnny ZSCHAU, CRO Roosens Béton, Wallonia
Audrey VAN DER WIELEN, Researcher at Belgian Road Research Centre (BRRC)
Thomas VAN HOYE, Quality Manager, Eloy, Wallonia
Steven BECKERS, Circularity Expert Architect, Belgium
Lionel FOURDRINIER, Coordinator Win4C, Metallurgical Research Center (CRM), Wallonia
Lionel BONJEAN, General Director, Public Service of Wallonia – Economy, Employment and Research
Programme
- The European Integrated Circular Construction Sector
- Circular Value as a Key Leverage to Achieve European Sustainability Goals
- Keys to a Profitable and Sustainable Circular Model: the Dutch Case
- The Basque Approach to Circular Economy: Regional Strategies and Industrial Opportunities
- EU Project Pitches and Innovation Talks
- End-of-waste – Context, Limits, and Perspectives of Mineral Circularity in Wallonia
- REMIND WALLONIA – Contributions to the European Mineral Valley
- MC2 (Mineral Circular Centre): Walloon Reference Hub for the Decarbonisation of the Earth and Stone Industry, and the Circularity of Mineral Materials
- Walloon Project Pitches
- Systemic Approach to Circularity in Urban Development: The Needs for Minerals Too!
- Perspectives of the Walloon Strategic Innovation Initiative Win4C
Thursday
22
22.05.2025 @ 9:30 AM
DAY 2 – Meet the Speakers
Palais des congrès | Mons
From 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. / Used language : English
Speakers
Claudia NECULAU, Project Coordinator REMIND Wallonia
Didier GOHY, Senior Advisor Department of Infrastructure Management and Waste Policy, Public service of Wallonia
Alexis DE MEY, Environmental Expert SODEA, Belgium
Stéphane VERSTRAETE, Consultant Group De Cloedt, Belgium
Stéphanie STEVENART, Project Manager Wallonie-Entreprendre
Robert BAUDINET, Co-Founder and CEO, Matvision, Belgium
Michaël GHYOOT, Architect, Rotor
Sonia SARACINO, Project Coordinator CETMA (Centro di Ricerche Europeo di Tecnologie Design e Materiali), Italy
Agnese ATTANASIO, Technical Project Manager, CETMA, (Centro di Ricerche Europeo di Tecnologie Design e Materiali), Italy
Luc COURARD, Professor, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Urban and Environmental Engineering, University of Liège, Wallonia
Tania NOEL, Environmental Psychology, University of Liège, Wallonia
John WANTE, advisor on environment policy for the Belgian federal minister of Environment, Climate, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Public Service of Flanders for Waste, Materials, and Soil (OVAM)
Jean-François NIVART, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Mineral Geo-resources & Geological Imaging, Urban and Environmental Engineering, University of Liège, Coordinator of UNI-GR CIRKLA
Aline VERGAUWEN, Energy & Sustainable Solutions Department, BuildWise, Belgian Innovation Center in the Construction
Programme
- 1/ End-of-Waste and Right Materials in the Right Place
- 2/ Extension of the Lifespan of Construction Materials
- 3/ Resistance to Changes in the Face of Circularity
If you have any question about the event, please contact yulia.firsova@greenwin.be
With the support of
