ÉLÉMENTS TERRE PIM: Investigating material flows through the “Éléments Terre” project

The ÉLÉMENTS TERRE PIM programme brought together 16 students for a collective investigation into material flows, based on the collaborative project Éléments Terre, from 5 to 9 January 2026. Starting from the periodic table of chemical elements, the programme encouraged participants to move beyond a static view of resources and instead analyse the dynamics of extraction, circulation and use of elements in a world of limited resources.

Over the course of an immersive week, participants conducted literature reviews, interviewed researchers and worked on the life cycle of two chemical elements: silicon and neodymium.

Contributors:

• Laure Simplet, Geo-Océan / IFREMER
• Germain Bayon, Geo-Océan / IFREMER
• Olivier Vidal, CNRS / Institut des sciences de la Terre de Grenoble
• Patrick Degeorges, philosopher, IHEPAT Director, Institut Michel Serres member

The aim of the week was to compile and analyse bibliographic data in order to map global material flows, while situating them within environmental, social and geopolitical contexts.

During the programme, students also had the opportunity to test the serious game PHONE IMPACT, developed by Inria, which raises awareness of the materials used in smartphone manufacturing and the resulting environmental impacts.

The work carried out enabled participants to question the links between natural resources, Western lifestyles and environmental impacts, as well as the interdependencies between elements and the future scenarios described in scientific literature. Particular attention was paid to the underlying societal visions embedded in these scenarios.

At the end of the programme, students developed new tools for reflecting on planetary boundaries, the Anthropocene and “situated” scientific research. The project opened up critical perspectives on the material flows underpinning our ways of living and their role in shaping our relationship with the planet.

Discover students’ interview during the PIM Forum:

View the students’ outputs:

Supervisors:

• Jill Sutton LEMAR/UBO
• Emilie Bruand Geo Ocean/CNRS
• Alessandra Quadrelli IRCELYON, CNRS/Université de Lyon 1