On September 11, Mines Saint-Étienne signed a historic partnership with the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology. This ambitious agreement addresses a major challenge: the decarbonization of industry through academics, research, and innovation.
Echoing the state visit of Vietnamese President Tô Lâm, Jacques Fayolle, Director of Mines Saint-Étienne, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology in the presence of:
- Nguyên Duy Ngoc, Chairman of the Organization Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam;
- Vu Hai Quan, Minister of Science and Technology;
- Hoàng Minh Sơn, Minister of Education and Academics.
This agreement marks the culmination of 15 years of student and faculty exchanges between the two institutions, and the transfer of equipment to Hanoi to build a laboratory for clathrate hydrates.
Accelerating research on decarbonization and critical materials
Several initiatives will be launched following this new agreement. They aim to strengthen scientific cooperation to provide concrete solutions to issues related to decarbonization and critical materials.
The two institutions will thus:
- offer a joint master’s degree in critical materials, including mining processes, refining, and recycling;
- create a joint laboratory on decarbonization, focused on CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage) technologies;
- support the implementation of research-driven innovations, notably through the start-up Carbon Cage, incubated at Mines Saint-Étienne.
The next step in this cooperation will take place in November. Jean-Michel Herri, research professor at the SPIN research center at Mines Saint-Étienne and co-founder of Carbon Cage, will travel to Vietnam to consolidate this major collaboration, which works to ensure that scientific excellence has a positive impact on society and industry.
