NMO strengthens partnership with Chile and Vietnam
TNO is strengthening its international partnership with Chile and Vietnam. Multi-year partnership agreements have been signed with both countries, focusing on knowledge development and exchange regarding critical raw materials. Activities carried out within the Netherlands Materials Observatory (NMO) contributed to the development of these agreements.
Chile: collaboration on lithium processing
Last week, a delegation from the NMO paid a visit to Chile during Exponor 2026 in Antofagasta. Exponor is one of the largest mining events in South America and brings together major mining companies and suppliers from around the world. Its location near Antofagasta, in the coastal desert of northern Chile, underlines the importance of this region for the international mining sector.
The main objective for the NMO was to further develop its relationship it’s Chilean partners: the Institute for Lithium and Salares (INLiSa) and the Advanced Mining Technology Centre (AMTC). Together, the parties are working on an impact assessment of lithium processing technologies. The focus is on Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE), a technology expected to play a greater role in the Chilean lithium sector in the coming years.
Peter Paul van ’t Veen, director of the NMO, explains the importance of this collaboration: “Timely insight into the environmental and socio-economic consequences of large-scale application of DLE is important in order to be able to properly compare different development paths for lithium extraction. The results of the impact assessment can contribute to better-informed choices for the further development of the sector in Chile. This concerns not only economic opportunities, but also potential effects on the environment and society.”
Vietnam: knowledge exchange on geological data
TNO has also signed a partnership agreement with the Vietnam Department of Geology and Minerals (VDGM). In this memorandum of understanding, the partners explore how they can collaborate on knowledge building and knowledge transfer, with a particular focus on capacity building, knowledge exchange and data management (in the fields of geology, minerals and geological hazards). The collaboration has been entered into for a period of three years. This agreement also stems from activities carried out within the NMO.
Business development lead Rader Abdul Fattah is delighted with the letter of intent: “This collaboration with the VDGM goes beyond a single project. It forms the basis for a long-term knowledge partnership between the Netherlands and Vietnam in the field of critical raw materials. Through knowledge transfer and capacity building, we aim to contribute to better use of geological data in Vietnam, with data management, artificial intelligence and Earth observation serving as key building blocks.”