Our colleague, Vice-Dean Prof. Sisol, attended the 10th MINEX Europe Mining and Exploration Forum, held in Ireland. The event focused on social licence to operate and legitimacy in the extraction of critical raw materials in Europe. The programme included workshops, expert discussions, a company exhibition and a concluding technical visit to the Boliden Tara Mine, one of Europe’s largest zinc and lead producers. The extensive programme also provided an opportunity to present our X-ROCK project, which focuses on an underground repository for heat-generating waste.