The Debrief. Made in Europe: from mine to electric vehicle

Three weeks after its official launch we hereby provide a compact overview of the reactions we received for our 52-min documentary that has been nominated for the British Columbia Environmental Film Festival), along with all vimeo links, interviews, reports and key data about the documentary.

Why this documentary?

Is Europe really sleepwalking into an abyss? Will the looming tsunami of Chinese electric vehicles obliterate the European car manufacturing industry? The documentary investigates the challenges faced by Europe as it attempts to set up its own, fully integrated, mine-to-EV value chain. The film acts as a wake-up call to avoid that Europe’s decarbonisation strategy leads to a nightmarish de-industrialisation. Instead, the documentary shows that Europe’s transition to climate neutrality can go hand in hand with a cleantech-based re-industrialisation.

The film's presenter, Peter Tom Jones, undertakes a road trip in the Nordic countries, starting at the iconic Aitik and Kiruna mines in the North of Sweden, after which he visits key locations in South Finland in search of best practices in responsible refining, battery production and EV assembly. As well as descending 1,400 m underground and interviewing various CEO’s and experts, Jones engages with a key spokesperson from the indigenous, reindeer-herding Sami people in their homeland of Sapmi, before going on to meet with local citizens in the Arctic town of Kiruna. To obtain a view from Brussels, Jones sits down with the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič.

Vimeo links

 

Op-ed

  • De Tijd (Peter Tom Jones, "Without raw materials, state aid for battery factories is futile"): Read the op-ed here

 

Interviews

 

Launch events & other

 

 

Testimonials for Made in Europe: from mine to electric vehicle

“Magnificent work by Peter Tom Jones and SIM2 KU Leuven. Enjoy this important, awareness-raising documentary. Highly recommended. An example of thoroughly informed science communication with real social impact.” (Luc Sels, Rector KU Leuven)

“Refreshing to see a more nuanced academic perspective on de-carbonisation, energy independence and the protection of key industries from Leuven. As the recent pandemic and outbreak of war in Ukraine have shown, protecting and controlling critical supply lines will be central to any industrial policy safeguarding Europe's independence, prosperity and security.” (Pieter-Jan Blondeel, Katoen Natie)

“Interesting documentary that has the right undertones asking the right questions so citizens can be engaged in the paradigm shift to what is happening now that potentially has monumental shifts affecting how we live, work, and play 2023 through at least 2053.” (Frank Sowa, The Xavier Group)

“A very good and informative documentary. Decarbonization must not lead to de-industrialization in Europe!” (Tor Stendahl, Managing Director and Country Manager Finland)

“If Europe is serious about energy transition and decarbonizarion, it’s time to take responsibility. If not to be less dependent, at least to decrease the impact on the environment and climate by local responsible mining instead of importing from less regulated regions.” (Jeroen De Roeck)

“We need to boost Europe’s open strategic autonomy and decouple strategic dependencies such as that in #CriticalRawMaterials. We have the right technologies and rules to do sustainable mining in Europe, but we need to showcase successful projects to inspire investor confidence and build public trust.” (Maros Sefocvic, EVP EC)

"Peter Tom Jones’ work is more than just a documentary; it's a call to action, a piece that educates and empowers. It's a testament to the power of storytelling in transforming complex industry narratives into engaging, understandable, and impactful messages." (Veronika Sochorova, Euromines)

“The power of real storytelling. I’ve spent years writing and talking in Brussels about the sustainability and security benefits of homegrown metals supply – and why that’s so important to our clean energy goals. But that doesn’t reach or convince outside of our narrow political bubble. Jones’ video will take you first hand into the most modern mines and refineries Europe has, contextualised in the geopolitics of China’s push for global electric vehicles dominance.” (Chris Heron, Eurometaux)

 

Key data

 

Acknowledgements

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HADEA and CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. Co-funded by KU Leuven. A warm thank you for Roger Atkins, Julia Poliscanova (she/her), Luc Sels, Jan D'hooge, Isabelle Van Geet, Sigrid Somers, Emmanuel Rottey, Ilse Frederickx, Marie-Laure Bettens, Hanne Laureys