Umicore

Umicore is a Belgian materials technology and recycling group that describes itself as a global advanced materials and recycling business. Drawing on deep knowledge in metals, chemistry, and material science, it organizes its activities across three main industry segments: Catalysis, Energy and Surface Technologies, and Recycling. Its stated purpose is to reduce harmful emissions, power the vehicles and technologies of today and tomorrow, and give new life to used metals.

The company is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, and is publicly traded on Euronext Brussels under the ticker UMI (ISIN BE0974320526), where it is a BEL 20 component. It operates in the metals and mining industry, with CEO Bart Sap and Chairman Thomas Leysen among its key people. Umicore traces deep historical roots in Belgian mining and metals: it was formerly known as Union Minière du Haut Katanga, with its modern corporate form dating to 1989 and the name change to Umicore SA in 2001.

Umicore operates a vertically integrated, closed-loop ("circular") business model, providing clean-mobility materials for all platform types and recycling these materials at end of life. On the recycling side, it runs one of the world's most sophisticated precious metals recycling facilities, capable of recovering nearly 30 precious and non-ferrous metals from industrial residues, electronic scrap, batteries, automotive and industrial catalysts, and fuel cells. The group employs more than 11,500 people worldwide and generated revenues (excluding metal) of €3.9 billion in its most recent referenced full year, down 7% versus 2022.

Its main competitors include Johnson Matthey, Albemarle, and BASF in battery materials, Li-Cycle in battery recycling, and Aurubis/Nyrstar in metals refining. Innovation in advanced materials and recycling is highly relevant to Umicore, whose vertically integrated global recycling network and closed-loop setup are positioned as its key differentiator from peers focused on only battery materials or only recycling.