Highlights of the Program

2 days business program:

Learn from real-world case studies by industry leaders.

SHOWCASING INNOVATION:

Discover the latest technology and techniques from across the industry.

leaders talk:

Hear from top-level experts about how to stay ahead in a fast-changing industry.

MULTIPLE STREAMS:

A business program that is multi-disciplinary, giving you a broad view of the industry.

SMART TECHNOLOGIES:

Explore the latest smart and AI-driven solutions, and see how they can be used in your business.

roundtable discussion:

Join talks with industry peers. Share ideas, make connections, and find new partners.

Program

Day 1 :
MONDAY, 30 MARCH, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
REGISTRATION AND MORNING REFRESHMENTS
09:30 - 09:40
OPENING ADDRESS
09:40 - 10:05
CHILE’S NATIONAL LITHIUM STRATEGY: PUBLIC POLICY LESSONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
José Inostroza
Ministerio de Minería

José Inostroza

Ministerio de Minería

  • Designing and implementing Chile’s approach to a national framework for lithium governance
  • Balancing economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental priorities
  • Providing key policy insights supporting sustainable lithium development across global markets
10:05 - 10:10
Q&A SESSION ON CHILE’S APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE LITHIUM GOVERNANCE
10:10 - 10:40
SPEED NETWORKING SESSION
  • Exchange business cards and get connected in short one-to-one meetings
  • Start the conversation to arrange a more formal meeting later on in the conference
  • Share your professional background and discuss your biggest business issues – don't forget your business cards!
10:40 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
11:00 - 11:30
PANEL DISCUSSION ON DIRECT LITHIUM EXTRACTION
11:30 - 11:55
THE DLE JOURNEY IN ARGENTINA, FROM CURRENT PROJECTS TO FUTURE GROWTH
Azul Maria Gimenez Moreno
Magmatic

Azul Maria Gimenez Moreno

Magmatic

  • Tracing the history of DLE in Argentina while reviewing current projects, technologies, and expected production growth
  • Evaluating evaporation ponds and DLE across costs, efficiency, product quality, and environmental impacts
  • Outlining commercial DLE technologies and their advantages, disadvantages, and applications in Argentina
  • Exploring next-generation solutions such as membranes, electrochemical methods, and biotechnology to reshape competitiveness
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON THE FUTURE OF DLE PROJECTS AND GROWTH IN ARGENTINA
12:00 - 13:30
NETWORKING LUNCH & VISITING THE DIRECT LITHIUM EXTRACTION EXHIBITION
13:30 - 13:55
LITHIUM SEPARATION FROM MONOVALENT CATIONS USING SUPPORTED LIQUID MEMBRANES
Mauro Dal-Cin
National Resources Canada

Mauro Dal-Cin

National Resources Canada

  • Addressing the challenges with conventional evaporation and solvent extraction methods for Canadian brine resources
  • Developing new extractants and supported liquid membranes at the National Research Council Canada
  • Analysing results from shake-out solvent extraction, flatsheet SLM, and hollow-fibre SLM using synthetic brine
  • Advancing separation efficiency with SLM technologies to support future lithium production
13:55 - 14:00
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCING LITHIUM SEPARATION TECHNOLOGIES
14:00 - 14:25
COMPETING FOR LITHIUM: POLICY, COSTS, AND FISCAL DESIGN SHAPING GLOBAL SUPPLY
Nassam Estibill Zalaquett
Wood Mackenzie

Nassam Estibill Zalaquett

Wood Mackenzie

  • Evolving global dynamics and investment strategies are driving competition for lithium, with insights into future market trends
  • Achieving cost efficiency across extraction and refining stages, emphasising emerging advantages in the lithium value chain
  • Examining the influence of government policies and fiscal frameworks on market growth, investor confidence, and global supply diversification
14:25 - 14:30
Q&A SESSION ON LITHIUM POLICY, COSTS, AND FISCAL DESIGN
14:30 - 14:55
REAL-TIME CHEMICAL MONITORING IN OPTIMISING LITHIUM EXTRACTION AND PRODUCTION
Carlos Vigil Zarate
Watergenics

Carlos Vigil Zarate

Watergenics

  • Exploring ionic imbalances affecting recovery rates, operating costs and lithium product quality
  • Shifting from reactive control to proactive operations through real-time chemical monitoring
  • Enabling faster decisions and greater process stability using continuous in situ measurement
  • Applying spectroscopy and AI to optimise reagent energy and water use across lithium routes
14:55 - 15:00
Q&A SESSION ON CHEMICAL DATA-DRIVEN OPTIMISATION IN LITHIUM PRODUCTION
15:00 - 15:30
AFTERNOON COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
15:30 - 15:55
LITHIUM AND OTHER CRITICAL MINERAL EXTRACTION FROM BRINE UTILISING HYDRODYNAMIC CAVITATION
Ronald Otto Lincz
Avonlea Lithium Corp

Ronald Otto Lincz

Avonlea Lithium Corp

  • Scalable extraction process for lithium and critical minerals while outlining its core operational principles
  • Third-party verified results from pilot tests and their significance for commercial readiness
  • Design approach for the upcoming commercial extraction facility as the next step toward deployment
15:55 - 16:00
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCED BRINE PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES
16:00 - 16:25
LiEX: A NEW DLE PROCESS BASED ON A PROVEN ADSORPTION PLATFORM
Craig Brown
Chemionex Inc.

Craig Brown

Chemionex Inc.

  • Presenting a streamlined single-column adsorption process, enhancing lithium recovery efficiency
  • Demonstrating over 99% lithium recovery across a broad range of brine concentrations
  • Delivering high-purity eluates through water elution while achieving exceptional impurity separation
  • Reducing equipment requirements and operational complexity through an optimised process design
16:25 - 16:30
Q&A SESSION ON LiEX DLE PROCESS AND ADSORPTION PLATFORM INNOVATION
16:30 - 16:55
SUPPORT FOR THE DLE MARKET: PRETREATMENT, EXTRACTION AND POST-TREATMENT
Cathy Swanson
Ecolab

Cathy Swanson

Ecolab

  • Presenting Ecolab’s Nalco pretreatment solutions that reduce capital needs and improve DLE cost efficiency
  • Designing direct lithium extraction resin for long-lasting, high-performance adsorption
  • Demonstrating resins polishing lithium streams by removing calcium, magnesium, and trace constituents
  • Implementing strategies enhancing resin performance and supporting optimised treatment outcomes
16:55 - 17:00
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCING TECHNOLOGIES FOR DLE PROCESSING
17:00 - 18:00
NETWORKING DRINKS RECEPTION
Day 2 :
TUESDAY, 31 MARCH, 2026
09:00 - 09:30
MORNING REFRESHMENTS
09:30 - 09:40
OPENING ADDRESS
09:40 - 10:05
THE DISTRIBUTION OF LITHIUM-RICH BRINES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA, SET IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT
Peter Mullin
ETNR LLC

Peter Mullin

ETNR LLC

  • Providing an overview of Central and South American basins with documented lithium-enriched brines in subsurface settings beyond salars
  • Comparing regional brine grades and geological settings with global examples to highlight similarities and differences
  • Identifying gaps in existing data while outlining key parameters that guide the discovery of promising basins
10:05 - 10:10
Q&A SESSION ON LITHIUM-RICH BRINES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
10:10 - 10:35
COMMON PRODUCTION BOTTLENECKS OF LITHIUM PRODUCTS AND WAYS TO OVERCOME THEM
Oscar Angulo
Partickle

Oscar Angulo

Partickle

  • Presenting common flow challenges such as blockages, segregation, attrition, and dust emissions in product processing
  • Examining flow properties of lithium carbonate, hydroxide, sulphate, and raw materials and their impact on production
  • Analysing the effect of flow behaviour on equipment performance, including silos, conveyors, samplers, and packing systems
  • Addressing handling challenges while meeting strict requirements to minimise ferrous contamination in lithium products
10:35 - 10:40
Q&A SESSION ON IMPROVING FLOW AND HANDLING OF LITHIUM PRODUCTS
10:40 - 11:05
FREE, PRIOR, AND INFORMED CONSENT (FPIC) OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN LITHIUM MINING
Michael Rattagan
Dentons

Michael Rattagan

Dentons

  • Defining federal, provincial, and international standards shaping FPIC practices across South America
  • Illustrating Argentine case studies highlighting judicial disputes and evolving community participation
  • Comparing Chilean and Argentine frameworks, identifying lessons for inclusive mining development
11:05 - 11:10
Q&A SESSION ON COMMUNITY RIGHTS AND REGULATION IN LITHIUM MINING
11:10 - 11:30
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
11:30 - 11:55
ENHANCING DLE VALUE THROUGH VALUE ENGINEERING USING O&G LEARNINGS AND INNOVATION
Raghu Damodaran
Kaleidoscope Energy | Rio Tinto

Raghu Damodaran

Kaleidoscope Energy | Rio Tinto

  • Advancing DLE project efficiency by applying value engineering to reduce costs and technical risks
  • Leveraging O&G digital technologies to enhance reliability, operational insight, and extraction performance
Jairo Velasquez
Kaleidoscope Energy | Rio Tinto

Jairo Velasquez

Kaleidoscope Energy | Rio Tinto

  • Applying modular and scalable design approaches to accelerate deployment and strengthen overall economics
  • Integrating cross-industry innovation to support bankability and lower long-term lithium production costs
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON DRIVING GREATER VALUE IN DLE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
12:00 - 12:25
FUTURE TRENDS IN GLOBAL LITHIUM DEMAND AND THE TRANSITION TO RENEWABLES
Fernando Sulca
CRU

Fernando Sulca

CRU

  • Driving structural growth in lithium demand across energy and mobility markets through global renewable energy expansion
  • Influencing upstream lithium requirements and supply chain strategies through fourth-generation LFP battery technologies
  • Addressing long-term supply gaps in South America through the role of direct lithium extraction and project economics
12:25 - 12:30
Q&A SESSION ON BATTERY TECHNOLOGY SHIFTS AND LITHIUM SUPPLY MODELS
12:30 - 12:55
NEXT-GENERATION PLATFORM FOR SUSTAINABLE LITHIUM AND CRITICAL MINERAL EXTRACTION
Amir Vahid
Ocean Reviver

Amir Vahid

Ocean Reviver

  • Presenting an electro-nanofluidic system enabling efficient lithium recovery without harsh reagents
  • Introducing field-controlled ion transport, improving selectivity and reducing energy consumption
  • Showcasing an integrated platform supporting zero-waste, carbon-conscious mineral production
12:55 - 13:00
Q&A SESSION ON MEMBRANE-FREE DESIGN, ION-SELECTIVE MECHANISMS AND CIRCULAR RESOURCE INTEGRATION
13:00 - 13:25
INNOVATION IN WELL MATERIALS FOR BRINE EXTRACTION
Julian Fernandez
GWE Tubomin

Julian Fernandez

GWE Tubomin

  • Advancing steel gravel pre-packed screens with a case study from the Cauchari salt flat in Argentina
  • Applying PVC gravel pre-packed screens, revealing operational benefits from the Atacama salt flat in Chile
  • Developing new drop pipe systems with quick couplings, enabling safer installation, supported by a case study from a copper mine
  • Providing solutions for inclined wells, demonstrating enhanced reliability through a case study from a copper mine in Chile
13:25 - 13:30
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCING WELL MATERIALS AND DESIGN SOLUTIONS
13:30 - 13:45
FEEDBACK AND RAFFLE DRAW
13:45 - 15:00
NETWORKING LUNCH

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