On 19–20 February 2026, the Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC) will host a new edition of the Innovation Summit at the Institute of Technology of Aragón (ITA) in Zaragoza, Spain.

The event has established itself as a strategic reference forum to explore opportunities for investment, funding, innovation and business cooperation in the raw materials and sustainable mining sector, in a context strongly shaped by European priorities and the industrial transition.

Over two days, the Innovation Summit will bring together institutional representatives, mining companies, financial entities, clusters, technology centres and European projects, with the aim of fostering dialogue, building partnerships and facilitating access to real innovation and financing instruments.

Thursday 19 February:

The agenda will begin on Thursday 19 February with the ISMC Board of Directors meeting, a key space for strategic coordination within the cluster and for discussing priority lines of action.

The day will continue with a guided visit to the facilities of the Institute of Technology of Aragón (ITA), where participants will have the opportunity to explore its laboratories, innovation services, scale-up support, digitalisation capabilities and connections to technological ecosystems. 

Friday 20 February: 

Block 1. Investment and funding in mining

The first block on Friday will focus on the investment landscape in the mining sector, available financial instruments and successful cases of sustainable investment, with contributions from:

• Lluís Rodríguez, Vice President, ICL Iberia

• Ana Blanch, Managing Director, Society for the Industrial Development of Aragón (SODIAR)

• José Antonio Ezquerra, General Manager, Euskalarido

• Cristina Rabal, Director of Environment and Sustainability at SAMCA, and David Ortiz, Collaboration and Sustainability Area, SAMCA.

This session will provide a practical overview of how to attract investment and structure projects aligned with new sustainability and competitiveness criteria.

Block 2. EU Topics: European funding and strategic projects

The second block will address European funding priorities, key topics and concrete opportunities for companies and organisations in the sector, with contributions from the ISMC Project Management Area and real examples of European projects:

• Belén Garzón, OPTIMINER Project

• Laura Quijano, PERMANET Project

• Clara Balbín, IRM-HUB Project

This session will offer first-hand insights into accessing EU programmes and integrating into regional and interregional innovation ecosystems.

Block 3. Innovation and business services elevator pitch

The Innovation Summit 2026 will also feature an Innovation and Business Services Elevator Pitch, in a Q&A format, with companies and organisations from:

• The Aragonese Mining Companies Association (AEMA)

• CEPYME Aragón

• CEOE Aragón

• Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC) members: TECMINA, Cubicoff Ingeniería Abierta, ICAMCYL Foundation, Análisis DSC, Consultoría Geológica, S.L. y EMERITA Resources.

A dynamic session designed to showcase capabilities, create connections and generate new collaboration opportunities.

CDTI Helpdesk and sector networking

The programme will be completed with the CDTI Helpdesk, dedicated to the presentation and structuring of highly innovative national and CDTI-funded projects, led by David Díez, Business Development Manager at ITA.

The event will also include the participation of Manuel Arce, President of the Official Association of Geologists (Aragon Delegation), and José Luis Barco, member of the University Chair in Geology and Society.

The event will conclude with a networking lunch, aimed at encouraging knowledge exchange and strategic partnerships.

Registration open for Innovation Summit 2026

Participation in the Innovation Summit 2026 is open to companies, public authorities, financial institutions, technology centres and stakeholders from the raw materials ecosystem.