On 26th March 2026, the START Project hosted its Training Workshop "Thermoelectric Tetrahedrites from Secondary Raw Materials and Other Sustainable TE Materials" at the Hotel Ikonik in Lisbon. This event marked a significant milestone as the project approaches its final weeks, bringing together experts, researchers, and industry professionals to discuss thermoelectrics, and in particular the "START approach" to sustainable thermoelectrics: transforming mine waste, specifically tetrahedrites, into efficient thermoelectric devices for waste heat recovery, thereby strengthening the EU’s resource resilience.

Technical Highlights

The program covered the full lifecycle of thermoelectric development, structured around four key pillars:

• Thermoelectric Materials: Exploring the unique properties of tetrahedrites and the sourcing of sustainable raw materials from mine waste.
• Technical Processing: Detailed sessions on material processing, scaling, and characterization techniques.
• Applications & Devices: Insights into the engineering of thermoelectric devices for energy production and cooling solutions.
• Sustainability & Legacy: A focus on the START case study and the project’s long-term environmental and economic impact.

This was the actual programme of the workshop:

• Strategic Vision: Filipe Neves (LNEG), our coordinator, opened the day with the START project’s vision, scientific context, and its expected legacy for materials innovation.
• Cutting-Edge Applications: Kornelius Nielsch (IFW Dresden) provided an overview of recent advances in TE materials for energy production, solid-state cooling, and recycling strategies for module longevity.
• Material Discovery: Antonio Pereira Gonçalves (University of Lisbon) discussed strategies for identifying low-cost, non-toxic, and sustainable TE materials.
• Industrial Processing: Alvise Bianchin (MBN Nanomaterialia) shared 17 years of expertise in powder metallurgy and nanotechnology for industrial processes.
• Sustainable Sourcing: Luis Albardeiro (LNEG) explored the "double-goal opportunity" of sourcing critical raw materials from historical mine waste.
• Advanced Characterization: Patricia Carvalho (SINTEF) explained how microstructure and consolidation quality—not just composition—govern the thermoelectric figure of merit (zT).
• Device Integration: Aniruddha Ray (Thermagy, former RGS Development) discussed the real-world challenges of integrating TE modules for industrial waste heat recovery and space power generation.
• Impact Measurement: Eduardo Santos (3Drivers) demonstrated how Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) determines the true environmental and economic benefits of TE technology.

Of course we also had a couple of coffee breaks and a lunch, that allowed to have some networking among participants.

Looking Ahead

All participants have received (or will soon receive) their certificates of attendance. We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of this workshop, whether in Lisbon or online.

Missed a session? We are currently preparing the footage from the day and will publish the videos on our website shortly. In the meantime, please see below for some highlights from the event!