The Inaugural Lecture of Prof. Ralph Useldinger entitled “The Teeth of industry Securing Europe’s materials future through Innovation, Circularity and Talent” will take place on 25 March 2026 on Belval Campus.

Presentation

The CERATIZIT Chair in Hard and Advanced Materials at the University of Luxembourg specialises in the metallurgical processing and materials testing of cemented carbides and Ti(C,N)-based cermets. This inaugural lecture will address the challenges of recycling these cemented carbides, which depend on tungsten and other critical raw materials, such as cobalt. It will demonstrate the importance of systematically characterising powder properties, sintering parameters, microstructures and mechanical properties of the resulting materials under industrial conditions. The research agenda focuses on supply chain resilience, with the aim of optimising processes and advancing the fundamentals of materials science.

Biography

Ralph Useldinger is an associate professor and the holder of the CERATIZIT Chair in Hard and Advanced Materials at the University of Luxembourg’s Department of Engineering. He earned his chemistry degree from the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne in France, followed by a PhD from the Technical University of Vienna (TU Wien). After gaining over 20 years’ experience in industrial R&D at CERATIZIT Luxembourg, in roles including Head of Group Analytics and Fundamental Research, he now focuses his research on cemented carbide powder metallurgy, recycling, high-temperature behaviour, and microstructure–property relationships. He maintains collaborations with renowned institutes all over the world and is an active member of various scientific committees.