In response to growing geopolitical uncertainty and Europe’s dependence on external resources, the I4-GREEN project convened a high-level Strategic Breakfast in Madrid to explore sustainable strategies for securing access to critical raw materials (CRMs). Organised in collaboration with the Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC), the ICAMCyL Foundation, and the Madrid Mining Club, the event brought together global industry leaders, policymakers, and diplomats to discuss Europe’s raw materials resilience.
Held at the prestigious Club Financiero Génova, the international forum drew participation from key representatives of the mining sector, research institutions, and diplomatic missions from countries such as Uzbekistan and Canada. Their joint aim: to build a more sustainable, circular, and sovereign European raw materials value chain.
I4-GREEN: Driving Innovation and Sustainability in Mining
The event was opened by Dr Santiago Cuesta López, General Director of ICAMCyL and ISMC, and coordinator of I4-GREEN, who underlined the urgent need to invest in domestic exploration, extraction, processing, and recycling of raw materials across Europe.
“Critical raw materials are no longer just an economic or industrial issue – they are about security, sovereignty, and Europe’s future,” Dr Cuesta stated. “We must reinforce innovation ecosystems and industrial cooperation to avoid creating new strategic dependencies.”
Funded by the EU’s Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) programme, I4-GREEN supports SMEs and regional clusters across Spain and Portugal. It aims to reduce reliance on imports by promoting circular mining practices and fostering green industrial transformation, in line with the European Green Deal.
Expert Panels Address Geopolitics and Investment in CRMs
The Strategic Breakfast featured two insightful panel discussions:
- Panel 1: Geopolitics of Raw Materials, moderated by Dr Cuesta, included:
- Nodir Ergashev, Consul of Uzbekistan in Spain, on Uzbekistan’s reliability as a strategic resource supplier.
- Eugenia Pérez, Commercial Attaché at the Canadian Embassy in Spain, on Canada’s responsible extraction practices.
- Experts from the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEEE) and EsadeGeo, who highlighted the link between raw materials and European technological and energy autonomy.
- Panel 2: Investment and Logistics, moderated by Raúl Fernández Abad, President of the Madrid Mining Club and CEO of Leonore Development. Speakers included:
- Álvaro Serrano, CEO of SALORO and President of ISMC, emphasising the strategic value of tungsten from Spain’s Barruecopardo mine.
- David Niknejad, CEO of Visco Orinoco.
- Ignacio López-Bachiller, Director of International Relations at Grupo Nogar.
- Jaime Beltrán, Commercial Director at the Port Authority of Huelva, who discussed the pivotal role of maritime logistics in securing CRM supply chains.
Strengthening Strategic Alliances Through I4-GREEN
The event concluded with networking sessions, catalysing cross-border collaboration between companies, investors, and institutions. With over 50 participants, the Strategic Breakfast brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including industry leaders, innovation clusters, public authorities, and international diplomatic representatives. These efforts, backed by I4-GREEN, aim to build a resilient, EU-aligned CRM industrial ecosystem, with funding opportunities of up to €10 million per initiative.