Europe’s ambition to strengthen its strategic autonomy and secure critical raw materials supply requires more than policy targets. It requires the capacity to translate those ambitions into viable exploration and mining projects, supported by innovation, investment, skills, enabling framework conditions and public confidence. The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) provides a strategic direction for strengthening Europe’s capacity across extraction, processing and recycling. The challenge now is implementation: how can Europe create the conditions for its mining industry to develop responsibly, attract investment and contribute to the continent’s long-term industrial resilience? This session brings together two complementary perspectives. The discussion will explore how European ambition can be translated into action, how perceptions of mining can evolve alongside the industry’s technological and sustainability progress, and how collaboration between European innovation networks and national industry associations can help unlock the sector’s potential. The central question: How can Europe turn its strategic ambition for raw materials into a stronger, more innovative and responsible mining industry?

Europe is at a turning point for its mining sector. This session will explore Europe’s position in the global mining landscape, the strengths of its existing ecosystem, and the opportunities ahead. It will highlight why now is the right moment for the Exploration & Mining SIGN to bring together industry, investors, academia, startups, and policymakers to align efforts, foster innovation, and accelerate the responsible development of Europe’s mining ambitions.

Can Europe secure the talent it needs to deliver its mining ambitions? As demand for raw materials grows, the sector faces increasing competition for skilled professionals, not only against other industries, but also against perceptions that mining is no longer an attractive career choice. Rather than focusing on the challenge itself, this session will explore what is already working. Through successful initiatives and good practices, the discussion will examine how Europe can attract new talent, strengthen education and training, and build the next generation of mining professionals. The key question is simple: is Europe moving fast enough to close the talent gap, or will skills become the biggest bottleneck to its mining future?

Europe needs new mines, but is society ready to accept them? This session will explore how social acceptance can determine the success or failure of mining projects, and what is at stake for Europe if public trust is not secured. Through real examples at different stages of development, from a project yet to start to operating mines, the discussion will examine how companies engage with communities, address concerns, and build long-term support. It will also ask a challenging question: can Europe achieve its mining ambitions without earning public acceptance, or will opposition continue to delay the projects it urgently needs?

Permitting is often identified as one of the major barriers to developing mining projects in Europe. But what determines whether a project can successfully navigate the permitting process? Bringing together a European perspective and practical experience from mining projects, the session will explore what shapes permitting outcomes, where the main challenges arise, and what can make permitting more predictable and effective while enabling responsible projects to move forward.

Europe leads in mining technology, but can it stay ahead? Automation, robotics, digitalisation, and electrification are transforming the mining industry, and European companies are already exporting world-class solutions across the globe. This session will showcase technologies that are reshaping mining today, while addressing a critical question: is Europe moving fast enough to maintain its technological edge? The discussion will explore how Europe can continue to innovate, test, and deploy new solutions at scale, and what is needed to remain competitive in an increasingly contested global race for mining technology leadership.

Can Europe Attract the Capital It Needs to Build New Mines? Europe’s ambition to secure critical raw materials will require major investment across the mining value chain, yet many investors continue to favour established mining jurisdictions such as Canada and Australia. What is preventing capital from flowing into European projects? Bringing together mining developers and investors, this session will explore how financing needs evolve from project development to production, what makes a project investable, and whether Europe’s regulatory, permitting and market environment is competitive enough to attract private capital at the scale required.