Giga Europe 2026
Giga Europe 2026
Time and Location
Lead Sponsors
Wednesday 11th March, 2026
Check In and Networking
Collect your badge and join us for morning networking
Benchmark Opening Keynote
- Andrew Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
Opening Remarks
Toyota Keynote Presentation: Shaping EV Demand
- Leon Van Der Merwe, Vice President, Toyota Motor Europe
OEM Leadership Panel Discussion: Shaping Europe’s EV Future
Hear from leaders across the downstream on current market trends, progress, production plans, and future expectations for EV demand in Europe
- Adam Panayi, Chief Research Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
- Patrick Keating, Head of Government Affairs, Honda Motor Europe
- Ruth Nic Aoidh, Director of Vehicle Programmes, Jaguar Land Rover
- Céline Domecq, Director Government Affairs - Head of Volvo Cars EU, Volvo Car Group
Keynote Presentation: Scaling Battery Manufacturing — from Raw Material to Gigafactory Capacity
- Opportunities to attract large-scale battery production and automotive investment
- Outlining the real costs of building and scaling gigafactories, from raw material sourcing to workforce development
- Christophe Mille, Co-Founder & Executive Technology Advisor, Verkor
Networking Break
Panel Discussion: Securing Europe’s Critical Mineral Supply Chain
- The potential for onshoring Europe’s mining and processing
- The role of Europe’s mining and energy industry leaders in the lithium-ion battery economy
- Caspar Rawles, Chief Operating Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
- Jonathan Vanherberghen, Director External Affairs Europe, Rio Tinto
- Vincenzo Conforti, Head of Government Relations - Europe, Glencore
- Geert Muylle, Ambassador – Special Envoy for Energy Security and Critical Raw Materials, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Belgium
Keynote Presentation: Rare Earth Elements
Benchmark-led presentation providing the latest insights and analysis on the rare earths market, including supply and demand trends, pricing dynamics, and the role of rare earths in the European battery and EV value chain
Panel Discussion: Navigating the European Policy Landscape
- European Green Deal
- CRMA Act (Critical Raw Materials Regulation Act)
- Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA)
- IDAA ( Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act)
- Madalina Ivanica, Deputy Head of Unit, DG GROW, European Commission
- James Watson, Director General, Eurometaux (European Metals Association)
- Agnès Pannier‑Runacher, Member of the French Parliament and, Former Minister of Energy Transition
- Pau Sanchis, EU Affairs & Policy Director, CATL
- Francesco Gattiglio, VP External Affairs Europe, Albemarle
Networking Lunch
Unlocking the Potential of Energy Storage in Europe
- With growth accelerating and market share fragmenting, what are the new business models and investment opportunities for European BESS projects?
- Current demand for energy storage: what is driving it?
- Optimizing grid infrastructure through ESS technologies.
- Understanding raw material needs for storage: how do they differ from EVs, and what does that mean for supply?
Panel Discussion: Lithium
- From price volatility to investment confidence – using BMI data to navigate 2026
- Understanding what's needed to build a global lithium market
- What explains the current lithium price environment, and what might move the market?
- Manfred Boeckmann, Chief Commercial Officer, Vulcan Energy
- Jean Paul Gueneau de Mussy, Executive Director, European Lithium Institute
- Varshan Gokool, Chief Financial Officer, Cornish Lithium
- Axel Wenke, Director of New Energy, Neptune Energy
- Matthew Ganser, SVP, Sales & Government Affairs, Lilac Solutions
- Freddie Bloomfield, Senior Analyst - Battery Raw Materials & Recycling, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
Networking Break
Keynote Presentation: The Future of Battery Technology Innovation
- Mervyn Stevens, Vice President - Battery Mineral & Materials, Worley
Panel Discussion: Graphite
- Supply chain trends and sourcing challenges for natural and synthetic graphite
- Innovations in graphite processing and anode technology
- Steen McCollin, Chief Commercial Officer, Carbon X
- Martin Phillips, Group CEO, Talga Group
Networking Reception
Thursday 12th March, 2026
Check In and Networking
Collect your badge and join us for morning networking
Benchmark Opening Keynote: Downstream Market Update
- Adam Panayi, Chief Research Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
The Journey of France’s First Gigafactory: Outcomes and challenges ahead
- Matthieu Hubert, General Secretary, ACC - Automotive Cells Company
Panel Discussion: Policy Risk and Investment Returns
- How should Europe compete with China's decades of sector dominance and the USA's significant capital allocation into it's resource security agenda?
- How will CO2 policy impact battery & EV outlook from here on?
- What are public and private stakeholders' concerns and desires for the European battery ecosystem?
- Frederic Lucenet, Global Head of Manufacturing and Services, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
- Dominic Raab, Head of Global Affairs, Appian Capital Advisory
- Arthur Corbin, Business Adviser to Executive Vice-President, European Commission
- Bryan Bille, Policy & Geopolitical Principal, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
Benchmark Commodities Presentation: Updates on Copper, Manganese, Nickel, and Cobalt
Benchmark-led presentations providing the latest market updates and insights on key battery raw materials, including copper, rare earths, and cobalt
Networking Break
Panel Discussion: Battery Raw Materials: Cobalt, Nickel & Manganese
- New projects that could create a sustainable, localized supply for Europe's battery industry
- Cathode materials trends and their impact on supply chains
- Antti Koulumies, CEO, Terrafame
Copper Panel: How European stakeholders can build resilient value chains
- With recent market dynamics, how should European mid and downstream stakeholders look to building resilient value chains across copper?
- Planning for traceability and responsible sourcing within new battery regulation
- Under current market dynamics, how can stakeholders reduce shocks and build resilience within their operations?
- Mike Smith, Director of Value Chains, The Copper Mark
Networking Lunch
Panel Discussion: Recycling Solutions to Build a Circular Battery Economy
- Policy: What can EC and national governments in Europe do?
- Importance: why is it vital to build a circular battery economy & what are the challenges?
- Technology: What are the available solutions?
- Are CRMA recycling targets realistic?
- Battery Passport
- Wouter Ghyoot, Vice President Government Affairs, Umicore
- Freddie Bloomfield, Senior Analyst - Battery Raw Materials & Recycling, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
- Jacob Carpenter, Head of Recycling, Gelion
Building a Sustainable Supply Chain
- What the EU’s new corporate sustainability directive means for the battery supply chain
- The importance of securing an entire battery supply chain through diversity, resilience, and sustainability
- Bill Williams, Global Director Business Development ‑ Battery Manufacturing, Baltimore Aircoil
- Florian Anderhuber, Deputy Director General, Euromines
End of Conference
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