Critical Minerals Innovation Forum
This two-day business conference connects the full critical mineral value chain from mining, processing and refining to automotive, electronics and renewables. The focus throughout will be on the opportunity in sustainable sourcing to manage risk, build resilience and drive business value. 
 

Supply resilience

How to align actors across the value chain to build capacity and security of supply
 

Net zero transition

The low carbon innovation that can decarbonise mineral supply chains and enable a net zero transition
 

Social impact

Leading business approaches to map, monitor and manage human rights risk across sourcing landscapes
 

Circular metals

How to integrate circular principles across business functions and increase capacity and uptake in recycled materials

2025 Speakers

Anna Krutikov

Glencore

Head of Sustainability

Catherine Rushforth

Airbus

Head of Human Rights

Jan Klawitter

Anglo American

Head of International Policy

Aidan Davy

ICMM

Co-Chief Operating Officer

Libbi Lee

De Beers Group

Chief Sustainability Officer, SVP Sustainable Impact

Oliver Richards

UK Department of Business and Trade

Head of Critical Minerals and Mining

Catriona Bell

Standard Chartered

Director, Metals & Mining Transition Finance

Christian Spano

Vale Base Metals

Director, Circularity

View all speakers

Agenda highlights

  • Supply gaps, surging demand and political uncertainty: What does it all mean for critical minerals? 
  • Map, measure, manage: How to extract value from complex supply chain data to drive a clear net zero strategy
  • Competing interests: What are the trade-offs between environmental protection today, and the clean energy demand of tomorrow?
  • Evolving Legislation: How the policy environment impact business operations and the supply of critical minerals by 2030?
  • An outlook for environmental and human rights: Where do NGOs and activists want to see more progress?
  • From risk to opportunity: How sustainable procurement can drive resilience and deliver business value
  • Nature and biodiversity: What are the right metrics and KPIs to monitor performance? 
  • Indigenous rights: How the right partnerships can build and maintain trust with local communities
  • Cobalt sourcing in the DRC: How to navigate high dependency, geopolitical uncertainty and human rights risk
  • Artisanal mining: What is a pragmatic approach to informal supply?
  • Supplier engagement: How to align actors across the value chain through incentives
  • A roadmap to circularity: How to increase capacity and uptake in recycled materials to move from pilots to real scale
  • Traceability, transparency and trust: What is needed to deliver real systemic change? 
  • Deep sea mining: What do we really know about the potential, the trade-offs and the impact?  
  • Deforestation: How to address forest risk in mining landscapes and deliver restoration in a commercial setting
  • Forward looking predictions: The critical minerals supply chain in 2030
View full agenda

Why attend?

Discover best practices from industry leaders and get in-depth guidance on how to effectively implement policies

Meet & network with an influential audience of key stakeholders, including NGOs, business, government and supply chain actors

Benchmark company performance amongst a room of your peers and discover where you should be focusing efforts

What to expect:

Candid conversations and open debate
We prioritize open and honest debates, following our Chatham House rule and avoiding PowerPoint presentations.

Interactive roundtables
These focused, collaborative sessions are designed to drive innovation and practical problem-solving within and across industries. Engage directly with experts and practitioners as we tackle complex topics such as deep sea mining, carbon pricing and informal supply.
Full value chain representation 
From mining, refining and processing to consumer electronics, EVs and renewables. This conference connects the full critical mineral value chain from mine to market. The objective is to ensure alignment and to facilitate collaboration across actors.

Focused case studies and cross learnings
From copper in Chile to cobalt in the DRC, we’ll run a series of case studies exploring the specific challenges of sourcing critical minerals across key regions.
"Engaging and PowerPoint-free panel discussions has proven to be a brilliant way to bring multiple perspectives to the current hot topics and what’s on the horizon."
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"Really good discussions with concrete examples, best practices, and ways for companies to take this important work forward. Thanks for another excellent event!"
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 "As ever, Innovation Forum challenge us to think, discuss and explore our knowledge and understanding of key issues in sustainability across the supply chain, at a well-considered interactive event."
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 "It was invaluable to come together to listen, learn, and reflect on the challenges and opportunities ahead."
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"Congratulations to Innovation Forum for organizing such a productive and informative event! I learned a great deal from all the sustainability experts present and made great contacts."
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"I have attended quite a few conferences this year and very much enjoyed the focus that IF brings, and the franker conversation facilitated by the Chatham House rule, so much appreciated!"
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What’s different about this forum?

Innovation Forum is:
  • Candid: Entirely off-the-record discussion that enables open and honest disclosure from speakers and genuine participation from the audience.
  • Practical: A clear focus on the practical and actionable guidance that can drive change throughout industries and supply chains.
  • Focused: We provide enough time, resources and expertise to the issues that really matter. We don’t skate the surface, but get to the crux of the issues to provide in-depth, constructive discussion.
Innovation Forum is NOT:
  • A PR platform: Enthusiastic speakers are NOT given free rein to fill a session presenting their companies, allowing no time to actually get to the crux of the issues.
  • A talking shop: This is NOT an opportunity for a group people in a room to simply agree with everything said, regardless of outcomes.
  • All promise, no delivery: We will NOT promise what we can’t deliver. The issues covered are complex. They won’t be solved at a two-day conference. But we will help deliver progress through in-depth, constructive and practical advice around specific issues.

Who attends

World Resources Institute
Neste
Institute for Human Rights and Business
Shell Foundation
HP
Anglo American
Nokia
Solidaridad
Dell
John Deere
Apple
Siemens
Tesla
Samsung Electronics
Volvo Trucks
Ford Motor Company
Scania
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Porsche
Fairphone
Intel
Center for International Environmental Law
The Sustainable Procurement Pledge
Planet Tracker
Eastman
Volvo Group
LyondellBasell
Honeywell
Verisk Maplecroft
Schneider Electric
Greenpeace
The World Bank
Principles for Responsible Investment
Microsoft
General Electric (LM Wind Power)
World Economic Forum
Barrick Gold Corporation
General Electric
ArcelorMittal
IBM
General Motors
Ørsted

The venue


Events at No. 6

6 Alie Street

London
E1 8QT
United Kingdom

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Supported by

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Get in touch

For any questions on the conference, please contact:

Emilia Colman
Project Manager
emilia.colman@innovationforum.co.uk

Sign up

Registration for the inaugural Critical Minerals Innovation Forum is currently open. To sign up, you can do so online here or get in touch directly for details of group discounts. 


Sponsorship

For more information and to inquire, please contact:

Emma Goodyer
Business Development Representative

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