The conference-debate organised on this occasion had two objectives: on the one hand, to raise awareness of the importance of Tunisia's extraordinary geological resources and, on the other, to take stock of two decades of intense collaboration, in perfect harmony with Wallonie-Bruxelles International.
Today and in the future, the rapid growth of renewable energies and high-tech will require numerous geological raw materials considered strategic by the European Union: lithium-cobalt-manganese-nickel for batteries, neodymium for certain wind turbine magnets, selenium and indium in particular for photovoltaic panels, tantalum for smartphones, etc. In addition to these metals, there are many industrial rocks: sand for glass, clays for health and the environment, etc. The list of minerals needed for our "sustainable" daily lives is very long. Today, Europe is dependent on foreign countries for its supply of these essential and varied geological materials. The subsoil of Tunisia (and more generally of the Maghreb) contains important mineral resources, the extraction of which can be considered as a major economic resource. The scientific contributions of UNamur and its Belgian and Maghrebian partners aim at characterising and managing several Maghrebian minerals in the most sustainable way possible.
The conference-debate was also an opportunity to mention the links between UNamur and several universities and research centres in the Maghreb such as, for example, the University of Tunis El Manar, the University of Sfax, the University of Carthage, the Centre de Recherches et des Technologies des Eaux (CERTE) Mohammed I University in Oujda, Cadi Ayyad University, Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, as well as ongoing projects and those that UNamur and its partners wish to develop in other disciplinary fields (chemistry, computer science, economic and social sciences, etc.) in the years to come, thanks to the support of the European Commission. ) in the years to come, thanks to European, national and institutional funds.