Elza Bontempi has a permanent position at the University of Brescia where she is currently a Full Professor teaching courses in Fundamentals of Chemistry for the Technologies. She is responsible for the research line concerning eco-materials at the Chemistry for Technologies Laboratory. She has been responsible for several national and international research projects, developing new technologies and new sustainable materials, coming from waste and by-products. In recent years, his scientific activity has focused on the recovery of critical raw materials in the field of circular economy, such as lithium and cobalt, from exhausted batteries. She is the author of more than 300 peer-reviewed papers and several patents in the field of material recovery. She is included in the list of Unstoppable Women (the 1000 women that are changing Italy) and the Top Italian Scientists (https://topitalianscientists.org/) in the field of natural and environmental sciences (https://elza-bontempi.unibs.it).