Director Profile

Dr. Nicholas Vafeas is an economic geologist and critical minerals specialist with more than a decade of international experience spanning mineral exploration, critical raw materials policy, research governance, and strategic resource analysis.

Unlike most advisers who specialise in a single discipline, Nicholas has worked across the entire critical minerals ecosystem, from evaluating deposits in the field to shaping national policy and assessing large-scale European research and innovation programmes. This breadth allows him to connect geology, processing, markets, and policy into a single strategic view of a project.

Technical Experience Highlights

Alongside his technical background, Nicholas has advised on resource governance and industrial policy. He authored a parliamentary research report on geothermal energy for Ireland's Houses of the Oireachtas, coordinated strategic oversight of a national research portfolio worth more than €700 million, and serves as an evaluator for European research and innovation programmes focused on critical raw materials.

His work has been published in leading scientific journals, parliamentary reports, and international industry publications. Today, he advises investors, mining companies, governments, and international organisations on the technical and strategic risks that determine whether critical mineral projects succeed or fail.