International Conference

September 2, 2026

12:00 - 14:00 Registrations and Welcome Lunch

14:00 - 14:15 Introductory Speeches

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14:15 - 15:00 Opening Keynote

Speaker to be confirmed

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15:00 - 16:15 Panel Discussion
The New Resource Map: Critical Raw Materials, Geopolitics and Europe’s Strategic Choices

This session will examine how critical raw materials are reshaping international relations, industrial strategies and technological sovereignty. It will address supply risks, dependencies, diversification, refining capacity, recycling, substitution and the strategic choices facing Europe in an increasingly unstable global context.
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Moderator: Alexandre Nominé, Associate Professor, the University of Lorraine, Researcher at Jean Lamour Institute, France and Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia

Speakers to be confirmed:

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16:15 - 16:30 Coffee Break

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16:30 - 17:45 Panel Discussion

Can Digital Be Sustainable? Rethinking AI, Electronics and the Materials Behind Them

This session will address one of the major tensions of the twin transition: digital technologies are part of the solution, but they also consume energy, materials and infrastructure. The discussion will explore how to develop lower-impact digital systems through innovation in materials, electronics, AI and design, while keeping sustainability at the core.

Moderator: Stephane Mangin, Professor, the University of Lorraine, Reseracher at Jean Lamour Institute, Member of World Materials Forum Steering Committee, France

Speakers to be confirmed:

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19:00 - 22:00 VIP Dinner

Entry upon VIP invitations.

September 3, 2026

09:30 - 10:00 Registrations and Morning Coffee

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10:00 - 11:15 Panel Discussion

Powering Change: Decarbonising Energy Systems in Real Territories

This session will focus on the energy transition where it actually happens: in regions, cities, infrastructures and industrial sites. It will bring together perspectives on low-carbon energy systems, industrial decarbonisation, territorial implementation, public policy and local acceptability. The objective is to connect technical innovation with the realities of deployment in the field.

Moderator: Leon Stille, Managing Director, New Energy Institute, Manager of Education and Partnerships at Impact Hydrogen, Sweden

Speakers to be confirmed:

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11:15- 12:30 Panel Discussion

From Mining to Recycling: Building a Circular Approach to the Materials Value Chain

This session will explore how to rethink the materials value chain through a systemic and circular approach that connects primary resources, such as mining, with secondary resources, including recycling and industrial waste. It will examine how these different resource streams can be better integrated to support more sustainable, efficient and resilient material systems.
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Moderator: Olga Chernoburova, Project Manager at Initiative d’Excellence Lorraine - ISITE, the University of Lorraine, France

Speakers to be confirmed:

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12:30 - 14:00 Lunch break

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14:00 - 17:00 Student Challenge.

Critical Materials Under Pressure: Investigate, Prioritise, Respond.

This interactive team investigation is focused on critical raw materials crisis management. Participants take on the role of a European strategic task force responding to a sudden materials-related disruption affecting the green and digital transitions. Through a series of expert stations, they collect key insights, prioritise information, and build a rapid strategic response.

Facilitators:

• Veiko Karu, Associate Professor, Estonian Business School
• Rajarshi Rakesh Sahai, MD - RJB Renewable Holdings, Venture Partner - Mobility VC, the Netherlands
• Janez Zavasnik, Senior Researcher, Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia
• Alexandra Noirault, CEO, WEEEMET, France
• Tijana Vulevic, Associate Professor, the University of Belgrade, Serbia
• Peter Dunne, CEO, REMEDY

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14:00 - 17:00 Parallel interactive spaces open during the afternoon

• Exhibition – Metals and Minerals in the Energy Transition. Art, Science & Game.

Explore the role of metals and minerals in the energy transition through a permanent exhibition including thematic panels, mineral samples, and the interactive Pick-a-Metal card game.

• Meet the Programmes and Projects

An interactive corner dedicated to showcasing interdisciplinary initiatives and partner projects linked to sustainability, innovation, and the green transition, including the Unievrsity of Lorraine's interdisciplinary programmes:

• CIRSET - Circular Economy for Sustainable Resources in the Energy and Digital Transitions
• TRANSITION - Energy Transition and Decarbonisation of Territories
• MAT-PULSE - Materials and Physics @ Ultimate Scale

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15:30 - 16:00 Coffee Break

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17:00 - 17:30 Teams pitches and audience voting for the best presentation

17:30 - 18:00 Winners Award and Closing Remarks

18:00 - 20:00 Closing Cocktail and Informal Networking