CAMBIUM - CirculAr Material flows in BelgIUM
In the CAMBIUM project, VITO and ICEDD developed and applied methodologies to assess Belgium’s critical raw material dependencies, material flows and circularity potential. By combining criticality assessment, material flow analysis, trade and value-chain analysis, the project identified supply risks, recovery opportunities and mapped the material flow data architecture together with key knowledge gaps. Environmental and social dimensions were also considered contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of material criticality and supporting evidence-based policymaking for a resilient and sustainable resource system.
Project structure and workstreams
The CAMBIUM project was structured around complementary workstreams that together developed a Belgian approach to material monitoring and criticality assessment. It addressed material flow and footprint indicators, waste and secondary material accounts, critical raw material identification, environmental and social supply-chain impacts, and detailed case studies on strategic material flows. The project combined economy-wide monitoring with product- and technology-level analyses. This approach provides a better understanding of Belgium's material dependencies and the associated supply and value chain risks.
Belgian criticality results and supply-chain impacts
CAMBIUM produced Belgium-specific criticality results. By adapting the EU criticality assessment to Belgian sectoral data, it identified 27 critical raw materials for Belgium, compared with 34 at EU level. Indeed, Belgium’s industry is not the same as the EU average and some materials become less critical due the different economic structure. The project also showed that 32 of the 34 CRMs identified at EU level appear to be linked to significant environmental or social impacts in their supply chains.
Case studies
The project developed and applied value-chain analysis and multilayer material system analysis to investigate strategic material flows and supply dependencies in Belgium. Case studies included wind turbines, platinum group metals, nickel and phosphate rock. The wind turbine analysis provided insights into evolving material stocks, future end-of-life flows and recycling opportunities, while the value-chain analyses helped identify supply dependencies and potential vulnerabilities at both the macroeconomic and company levels. Together, these studies demonstrated how complementary analytical approaches can support a better understanding of material flows, circularity opportunities and supply-chain risks.
VITO's role in CAMBIUM
- Downscaling of EU criticality assessment
- Prioritisation of critical raw materials for recycling
- Case studies on CRM flows:
- Multilayer material system analysis for wind turbines
- Supply chain and market analysis for PGMs, nickel and phosphate rock
During CAMBIUM, VITO contributed its expertise in critical raw materials, circular economy monitoring and techno-economic material flow analysis to help translate European-level methodologies into actionable insights for Belgium. A first major contribution was the downscaling of the EU criticality assessment to the Belgian context. By combining the established EU approach with Belgian sectoral, trade and economic data, VITO identified which raw materials are specifically critical for Belgium’s economy and industrial base. This work demonstrates VITO’s ability to bridge European policy frameworks and national decision-making needs, producing results that are both methodologically robust and directly relevant for public authorities. Read the report.
VITO also worked on the prioritisation of critical raw materials for recycling in Belgium. This contribution goes beyond the identification of CRMs, by translating criticality into actionable recycling priorities aligned with industrial demand and regional specificities. By assessing which materials are consumed by Belgian industry, VITO helped to prioritise where recovery could contribute most to strategic autonomy, generating focal points for policymakers and industry to direct their efforts to where they can have the greatest impact. Read the scientific article.
A third contribution was the multilayer material system analysis of Belgian wind turbines. VITO analysed how materials such as steel, copper, aluminium, nickel and neodymium have accumulated in Belgium’s wind energy infrastructure, how these stocks will evolve, and what end-of-life flows can be expected in the future. This case study shows VITO’s capacity to link technology deployment, material composition, lifetime assumptions and recycling pathways into one coherent analysis. It provides a practical example of how renewable energy policies can be assessed not only in terms of climate benefits, but also in terms of material demand, recovery potential and future circularity challenges. This links to the CIREC project which assessed future material demand for clean energy technologies and further developed supply-chain mapping approaches to better understand strategic material dependencies and potential vulnerabilities across the value chain. Read the report.
Finally, VITO contributed supply chain and market analyses for platinum group metals, nickel and phosphate rock. These materials are essential for applications ranging from clean technologies and industrial processes to agriculture and battery value chains, but they are also exposed to price volatility, geopolitical concentration and environmental pressures. An analysis of trade data helped clarify blind spots in the supply chain, whereas a company-level analysis identified companies that depend on these CRMs for their industrial activities. Together, these four contributions reflect one of VITO’s key strengths: turning complex material and waste data into critical insights for material flow monitoring and for circular value chains towards strategic autonomy. Read the report.
