Cesco Week 2019 focuses on mining industry 4.0 and prospection of future

The invigoration of the explorations, the challenges around the transit of the mining industry towards a 4.0 industry, and the social license to operate as a key to the future, among others, will be the topics that will be covered in this new version of Cesco Week, which will be held in between April 8 – 12 in Santiago. It is expected that more than 2,000 members of the industry participate in the meeting, one of the most important of the copper mining worldwide.

A more optimist mood from the market players, after 2018 of transition and with concrete signs of reactivating the investment, will mark the start of Cesco Week Santiago 2019, a meeting where around 2,000 industry representatives will meet to talk about the current scenario and the projections of copper and mining.

Under the slogan “A window into the future”, the week includes the International Exploration Forum, the eighteenth version of the World Copper Conference, the third version of the seminar “Mining and Sustainability” – which on this occasion will focus on tailings – and the Cop25 Seminar “Mining and Climate Change: where are we going?”. Also, as is tradition, the twenty-third Cesco Dinner 2019 will be held, whose main speaker will be the leader in Futures Literacy from UNESCO, Riel Miller.

The Executive Director of the Center for Copper and Mining Studies (Cesco), Alejandra Wood, explains the relevance of this annual meeting for the industry: “Along with the issues themselves related to prices, demand and supply, and medium-term projections; the topics on the agenda will revolve around the invigoration of the explorations, the challenges of the industry around the transit of mining towards an industry 4.0, the social license to operate as a key enabler for mining in the coming years, just for mention some. Although the topics are sometimes repeated, the emphasis is different in relation to the moment we are living and global trends.

The International Exploration Forum will kick off the activities on Monday, April 8th, with more than 20 international experts. Nicolás Fuster, Senior Advisor Mining and member of the Board of Directors of Cesco, anticipates that this year the forum will address such contingent topics as the lessons of the last supercycle for exploration companies, the political and social risks facing exploration in an increasingly interconnected world , the factors that determine the long-term prospects for copper co-products and how the growth of electrification of vehicles, among others, will affect the demand and copper prices.

“Exploration is a fundamental activity for the mining industry, particularly for Chile. The copper exploration allows us to discover new deposits for exploitation and replace mineral resources that are depleted in existing operations. In conclusion, here in Chile, we cannot stop analyzing the prospects of copper, our main export product. That is why the Exploration Forum is a must for the experts in this area and all those who are interested in the present and future of our country’s economy”, he says.

For its part, the 18th World Copper Conference – attended by more than 500 experts and executives from different countries – will focus on the key challenges and opportunities facing the industry, including the slowdown in China, developments in the scrap market, the growing portfolio of new mining projects and the return of cost inflation. “This meeting attracts some of the most influential players in the global mining and copper smelting industry, and it represents one of the best opportunities to hear the views and opinions of industry leaders and decision makers. Our conference will allow participants to better understand how the industry is responding to these events and the possible risks related to the short and medium-term prospects”, says Vanessa Davidson, Director of Copper Research and Strategy from CRU.

Among the speakers that will be presenting during both days, important leaders of the local and international industry stand out, such as Nelson Pizarro, CEO of Codelco; Arnaud Soirat, Director Copper & Diamonds of Rio Tinto; Iván Arriagada, CEO of Antofagasta Minerals; Don Lindsay, CEO of Teck Resources; Ruben Fernandes, CEO of Base Metals of Anglo American and Mark Loveitt, President of the International Wrought Copper Council (IWCC), among many others.

On Thursday, April 11th, the 3rd International Seminar on Mining and Sustainable Development will be held, which on this occasion will be focused on the issue of tailings, from a public policy perspective and the progress that companies and specialized centers are making in the management, disposal, and recovery of value elements from tailings. One of Cesco’s director, Iván Valenzuela, says that new looks are necessary to face both the issues of security and risk management, as well as the growing restrictions of water and space. “The tailings constitute a source of significant mining resources that, with new technologies and processes, can become an offer of interesting value”, he concludes.

Cesco Week will close with the Seminar “Mining and Climate Change: where are we going?”, which will deal with issues such as copper as a critical material for the mitigation of global climate change; monitoring, reporting, and verification of emissions; management of risk and adaptation to climate change in the mining sector and institutional development and climate change. Among the guests are Daniele La Porta, Senior Mining Specialist Energies and Extractives of the World Bank and Steve Kukoda, Vice President / Executive Director of the International Copper Association.

For further information about Cesco Week 2019 visit w http://www.cesco.cl/en/home-en/

 

PROGRAM CESCO WEEK SANTIAGO 2019

Date

Activity Venue

Monday 8

International Forum on Mining Explorations

Sheraton Hotel

8:00 – 16:00

Tuesday 9

18th World Copper Conference

Sheraton Hotel

8:00 – 16:30

Wednesday 10

18th World Copper Conference

 

Cesco Dinner Santiago 2019

Sheraton Hotel

8:00 – 16:30 

Espacio Riesco

18:30

Thursday  11

International Seminar on Mining Sustainable Development

Tailings: Challenges and trends

The Ritz Carlton Hotel

8:00 – 17:00

Friday 12

Seminar on Mining and Climate Change: Where are we going?

The Ritz Carlton Hotel

8:00 – 17:00