How do we move towards renewable energy without stumbling into new dependencies on a handful of critical raw materials and fragile supply chains?
In this edition of SustainaLab Talks, we dive into the “substitution trap”: every time we replace one energy source with another, we also shift our dependence to new materials, like lithium, cobalt, graphite, rare metals, often sourced from a few countries under volatile geopolitical conditions.
What if the energy transition simply trades one vulnerability for another? And how can science, industry and policy work together to avoid that?
Join us for an afternoon of sharp talks and an open panel discussion on:
- How the energy transition is reshaping geopolitics of materials
- The hidden raw material risks behind solar, wind and batteries
- Strategies to design out critical dependencies – from chemistry and materials science to industrial scale-up and policy
Speakers
- Benjamin Sprecher, Assistant Professor at TU Delft (Industrial Design Engineering), researches critical raw materials, circularity and supply chain resilience in the energy transition. In his talk, he will set the stage by showing which materials are genuinely critical, how substitution can shift, rather than remove, dependencies, and what this implies for European policy and industrial strategy.
- Ke Wang, Global Lead for Energy Minerals and Circularity at the World Resources Institute Polsky Center for the Global Energy Transition, works on how to meet the world’s demand for energy transition minerals in ways that are responsible for people and nature. In her talk, she will explore how we can meet rapidly growing mineral demand while avoiding simply shifting one set of dependencies and impacts to another, and how circular strategies – from recycling and reuse to new business models – can play a crucial role.
- Florenz Buß, CEO & Co-founder of BOR LYTE, develops borate-based electrolytes for sodium-ion batteries as an alternative to lithium-based battery technologies, strengthening European autonomy in energy storage. In his talk, he will use this work to explore how chemistry can help “design around” critical raw materials, and what such alternatives mean for the geopolitics and resilience of the wider energy transition.
- Esther Alarcón Lladó, Head of the 3D Solar Cells Group at AMOLF and Professor by special appointment at the University of Amsterdam, works on next-generation photovoltaic materials and device architectures within initiatives such as SolarNL. In her talk, she will show how design choices in solar cell technologies – from absorber materials to novel 3D structures – shape our dependence on critical raw materials and global supply chains, and what this means for scaling solar energy in a resilient and sustainable way.
Moderation by Chris Slootweg, Professor of Circular Chemistry and Science, Technology & Innovation at the University of Amsterdam.
Who should join?
This event is open to all and is especially suitable for professionals, researchers, students, and innovation leaders interested in sustainability and innovation.
📅 Tuesday, June 16th 2026
🕒 15:30 – 18:00 (including networking drinks)
📍 SustainaLab, Matrix ONE, Amsterdam Science Park 301, 1098 XH Amsterdam
Language: English
Cost: Free