Prof Jens Gutzmer is the founding director of the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology. He is professor and head of the research group in economic geology and petrology at the Department of Mineralogy, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany. He is also a visiting professor at the Paleoproterozoic Mineralization Research Group (PPM) in the Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Currently, he serves on the editorial boards of the South African Journal of Geology and of Geochemistry. Since 2013 Jens Gutzmer is a member of the Steering Committee within the European Rare Earths Competency Network (ERECON).