A program tailored to the industry.

Day 1 Schedule

1. 08:30 – 10:00

   Badge Pick-Up & Networking CoffeeGENERAL RECEPTION & REGISTRATION

   First Conversations in Jujuy

   Registration, welcome coffee and an initial networking opportunity with the lithium industry

   Lithium in South America begins with a welcoming space for participants, international delegations, companies, government authorities and stakeholders from across the value chain to connect, hold their first business conversations and open two days of discussions in the region at the heart of Argentina’s lithium industry.

2. 10:00 – 10:45

   The Mining Northwest from Within: Three Industry Chambers Assess the Region’s Next Stage of Development

   Opening Snapshot: An Introduction to What Is Happening in Argentina’s Lithium Industry

   Jujuy, Salta and Catamarca account for a significant share of Argentina’s new production capacity and mining investment pipeline. Opening the conference program, the heads of the three provincial mining chambers assess the conditions shaping the industry’s next stage: sustained exploration, operational performance, supplier development, infrastructure, talent, permitting, regional conditions and new investment. The discussion will examine the current landscape across all three jurisdictions, with particular attention to the issues increasingly requiring a coordinated regional approach.

   Arturo Pfister President, Jujuy Mining Chamber

   Juan Martín Gilly President, Salta Mining Chamber

   Abás Tanus Mafud President, Catamarca Mining Chamber

   Moderated by

   Tomás Karagozian La Fábrica Podcast

   Oliver Maltz La Fábrica Podcast
3. 10:45 – 11:45

   International Outlook: Positioning within the New Geography of Critical Minerals

   Capital, financing and partnerships to turn resources into tangible growth

   Global competition for critical minerals is reshaping decisions by governments, investors and multilateral institutions. How can new projects secure the capital required for construction while generating growth in the regions where they operate? How is Argentina currently perceived by international investors and institutions? This international session will address geopolitics, access to capital, risk mitigation, infrastructure and international cooperation. It will also examine the conditions Argentina needs to convert its mineral resources into production, economic growth and development opportunities at the national level, against the backdrop of current global dynamics and the broader historical context shaping the mining industry.

   Opening remarks by: Erik Høeg, Ambassador of the European Union to Argentina

   Erik Høeg Ambassador of the European Union to Argentina

   Felipe Fuentes Senior Underwriter, Industries, Latin America & the Caribbean, MIGA – World Bank Group

   León Cavalo Project Manager, Agence Française de Développement (AFD Argentina)

   Frédéric Maier Cooperation Attaché, European Union in Argentina

   Saúl Feilbogen Partner, Vitale, Manoff & Feilbogen Abogados

   Moderated by

   Natacha Izquierdo Chief Operating Officer, Abeceb

   Ignacio Celorrio Member of the 2026 Honorary Committee; EVP, Lithium Argentina
4. 11:45 – 13:00

   Lithium in Argentina: An Industry in Motion

   Jujuy opens the conversation alongside national authorities and industry leaders on the new scale of Argentina’s mining sector

   The official opening of Lithium in South America will focus on the industry’s current momentum from the perspective of one of Argentina’s leading producing provinces. With Jujuy as host, provincial and national authorities, institutional representatives and industry leaders will examine the conditions required to support a new stage of increased production, investment and development.

   Infrastructure, competitiveness, supplier development, employment, public-private collaboration and coordination between the federal government and the provinces will form part of a discussion on the challenges posed by the mining industry’s new scale. The session will also address lithium’s role within Argentina’s productive development strategy and the decisions required to support its growth over the coming years.

   Carlos Sadir Governor of Jujuy

   Fernanda Ávila Executive Secretary, Lithium Roundtable; Member of Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies

   Luis Lucero National Secretary of Mining

   José Gómez Minister of Mining of Jujuy

   Exequiel José Lello Ivacevich President, JEMSE; Chair of the 2026 Honorary Committee

   Roberto Cacciola President, Argentine Chamber of Mining Companies
5. 13:00 – 14:30

   Brunch & Business Networking

   An extended break to recharge, connect with participants and hold strategic meetings

   The first break of the day combines brunch with an extended networking opportunity for participants. The format brings together local cuisine, scheduled business meetings and engagement among delegations, while providing additional time to continue conversations initiated during the opening sessions.

6. 14:30 – 14:45

   A New Regulatory Framework for Mining Investment in Argentina

   What changes under Decree 482/2026 and what it means for companies, projects and suppliers

   More than three decades after the original regulations implementing Law 24,196, Argentina has updated one of its core frameworks governing mining investment. The presentation will examine the changes introduced by Decree 482/2026 regarding imports, the incorporation of service providers, regional integration, digitalization and administrative procedures, as well as how the new framework interacts with the investment instruments currently available to the mining sector.

   María Eugenia Bais National Director of Mining Investments, Secretariat of Mining
7. 14:45 – 15:50

   Operating for Growth

   What Argentina’s leading lithium companies are addressing today

   Argentina’s lithium industry now has enough operating and advanced-stage projects for the conversation to shift from potential to performance. Costs, ramp-up, expansions, infrastructure, talent, suppliers and operational stability are becoming an increasingly tangible part of the industry agenda. Leading companies with different operating experiences and business models will compare lessons from the field, identify where the most significant challenges are emerging, and examine the variables that will shape the competitiveness of brine-based lithium production over the coming years.

   Carlos Carrillo Head of External Affairs, Rio Tinto Lithium

   Luciano Berenstein Country Manager, Albemarle

   Simón Pérez Alsina President, EXAR

   Guillermo Simonutti COO, Eramet Eramine

   Nicolás Damin CSO, CNGR

   Moderated by

   Tomás de Pablos 2026 Honorary Committee Member

   Guadalupe Muñoz Corporate Affairs Director, LLYC – Llorente & Cuenca
8. 15:50 – 16:50

   Argentina–United States: Critical Minerals within a Strategic Relationship

   Supply security, investment and new partnerships in an increasingly fragmented global landscape

   Critical minerals now occupy a central place in economic security, industrial policy and international trade agendas. Against this backdrop, Argentina and the United States have deepened their cooperation in mining and processing throughout 2026, while Washington accelerates efforts to diversify and strengthen its supply chains.

   The panel will examine the concrete opportunities this evolving framework creates for Argentina’s lithium industry, particularly in investment, infrastructure, financing and value addition. It will also explore how Argentina can deepen its relationship with one of the world’s leading economic and technology hubs while maintaining a diversified position in global mining markets and strategic ties with other key markets.

   Fernando Ciácera National Director of Mining Promotion and Economics

   Gabriela Aguilar President, Argentina–Texas Chamber of Commerce

   Katrien Hinderdael Katrien Hinderdael, Director for Global Infrastructure and Investment, U.S. Department of State

   Moderated by

   José de Castro CEO, Alchemia
9. 16:50 – 17:30

   Coffee Break & Networking

10. 17:30 – 18:00

    From Resource to BatteryKeynote

    Lithium, costs and integration across the LFP value chain

    The growth of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries across electric mobility and battery energy storage systems (BESS) is reshaping the global lithium value chain and reinforcing the importance of lithium carbonate within the industry’s cost structure.

    The presentation will examine the global distribution of lithium resources, the economics of brine- and hard-rock-based production, and how lithium price movements affect precursor materials, cathodes and batteries. It will also explore how integration across the value chain can reduce risk, strengthen competitiveness and respond to increasingly diversified technology demand.

    From a Chinese perspective, the session will assess trends that could reshape global supply through 2030, including the expansion of hard-rock lithium production in Africa and its competitive positioning relative to Latin America. The presentation will also offer the perspective of one of the world’s leading battery materials companies on the shifts shaping the market, investment decisions and future supply requirements.

    Yang Jianyu (杨建育) Vice President, CNGR South America

    Session delivered in Chinese with consecutive interpretation into Spanish
11. 18:00 – 18:40

    Asia and the Global Positioning of Latin American LithiumKeynote

    What Asian markets are looking for and what distinguishes the region’s development models

    Lithium resources are only the starting point. Turning them into production and new industrial capabilities also depends on product requirements, infrastructure, costs and investment conditions.

    Andrew Leyland will examine demand from Asian industry, from lithium chloride and carbonate to battery-grade chemicals and cathode materials, as well as the competition between Latin America and Africa for investment and new segments of the value chain. José Hofer will address how public policy, incentives and state participation influence this development, drawing on experiences from Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Brazil. Two complementary perspectives on the decisions and conditions that will shape the industry’s next stage.

    Andrew Leyland Founder, SC Insights

    José Hofer Lithium Supply Chain Specialist, SC Insights

    Session delivered in English with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish
12. 18:40 – 19:15

    Lithium: An Industry Still Misunderstood?CLOSING CONVERSATION | FIRESIDE CHAT

    Beyond the market outlook: Argentina’s emerging strategic role, the industry’s real challenges and the relationships shaping the next decade

    In the closing conversation of the day, presented alongside Zelandez, Joe Lowry will connect more than three decades of industry experience with the forces now reshaping the lithium sector: new price cycles, the growth of BESS, China’s influence, the underlying quality of projects, and the distinction between announcing capacity and delivering competitive production. The discussion will place particular emphasis on Argentina, its position within the global value chain, and the decisions, partnerships and capabilities that could turn today’s opportunity into a sustainable long-term industry. Drawing on his book Lithium Confidential and his latest perspectives on the market, Lowry will offer a more critical examination of the narratives currently shaping the sector.

    Joe Lowry Founder, Global Lithium LLC · Author of Lithium Confidential: Confessions of a Corporate Misfit

    Moderated by

    Clint Van Marrewijk Co-founder, Zelandez

    Session delivered in English with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish
13. 19:15 – 19:30

    Special Activity: Lithium Confidential Book Signing

    Joe Lowry’s book

    Following the conclusion of the first day’s conference sessions, Joe Lowry will sign copies of Lithium Confidential at the Zelandez booth. The activity will be open to attendees who purchased the book in advance with their Lithium in South America registration or during the event.

    A brief and informal opportunity to continue the conversation offstage with one of the international industry leaders featured in this year’s program.

    Joe Lowry Founder, Global Lithium LLC · Author of Lithium Confidential: Confessions of a Corporate Misfit
14. 19:30 – 21:00

    Welcome to Jujuy Cocktail ReceptionEXCLUSIVE TO SPONSORS & INVITED GUESTS

    Official reception with the host province and leaders from Argentina’s mining industry

    The first day concludes with an official reception alongside the Province of Jujuy, government authorities, company leaders, speakers and mining industry stakeholders. An institutional and business networking opportunity to welcome participating delegations, strengthen relationships and close the day in a relaxed setting, hosted by the province of Jujuy.