ECGA will be represented at Graphene Connect 2026,11–12 March 2026, online, a dedicated international forum on graphene, 2D materials and carbon nanotubes. In her presentation, Advanced Carbon & Graphite in Europe: Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges, Katarzyna Palaczanis will provide a concise market and policy overview for graphene producers - covering key applications, demand trends, supply-chain dynamics, and EU initiatives influencing sustainability requirements and industrial competitiveness.

Effective 1 February 2026, ECGA welcomes Ms Katarzyna Palaczanis as its new Secretary General. The appointment follows the retirement of Dr Corina Hebestreit after 25 years of leadership. With 20+ years of minerals and metals public affairs and communications experience, Ms Palaczanis will support ECGA’s work to strengthen European competitiveness, investment conditions and resilient supply chains for advanced carbon and graphite materials.

As a media partner, ECGA will support Benchmark’s Giga Europe 2026 in Brussels, a leading forum for Europe’s battery value chain at the heart of EU policymaking. The agenda focuses on strengthening critical mineral supply chains through key policy initiatives, protecting supply chains from geopolitical and geo-economic disruption, and scaling battery production through industrial policy measures such as the EU Battery Booster. It will also address circular economy challenges, guided by the EU Battery Regulation and the forthcoming Circular Economy Act, alongside the evolving EV and charging policy landscape towards 2035 targets.