Divin-Luc Bikubanya is a Ph.D. Student and Teaching assistant at the IOB, University of Antwerp. He has a background in Globalization and Development studies and research in the informal gold and 3T minerals sector in Eastern DRC. He is currently focusing on the regional supply chains of construction materials in Africa’s Great Lakes Region.

Hadassah Arian is a Ph.D. Student at the IOB, University of Antwerp. She has a background in International Relations and Conflict Studies and research on the cobalt supply chain and the mining environment in the DRC. Her current research focuses on the ‘responsible sourcing’ framework in the context of the energy transition, and how this is changing the global supply chain governance formation.

Sara Geenen is an Associate professor at the Institute of Development Policy (IOB), University of Antwerp, Belgium, and co-director of the Centre d’Expertise en Gestion Minière (CEGEMI), Catholic University of Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Her current research interests lie in the global and local development dimensions of extractivist projects, addressing questions about more responsible and inclusive forms of globalization.

Sarah Katz-Lavigne is a Post-doctoral researcher at the IOB, University of Antwerp. She has a background in International Relations, African resource governance, and political science. Her current research focuses on the interconnections between mineral supply chains, the “green energy” boom, and local participation and knowledge, particularly when it comes to cobalt mined in south-eastern DRC.