Madrid, 2 March 2026. The Director General of the Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster (ISMC), Santiago Cuesta-López, took part in the High-Level Working Conference on Critical Raw Materials: Strengthening EU Value Chains, organised by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise.

The event brought together senior institutional representatives and key industry stakeholders with the aim of strengthening European value chains related to critical raw materials, enhancing public–private cooperation, and presenting investment opportunities for Spanish companies in strategic international projects.

Critical Raw Materials and European Strategic Autonomy

The conference focused on advancing European strategic autonomy in critical raw materials, aligning industrial policy, investment and the deployment of strategic projects.

In this context, the European strategy Global Gateway was highlighted as a key framework to:

• Reinforce international supply chains

• Mobilise public–private investment

• Support strategic infrastructure projects in third countries

• Diversify access to critical minerals

The event featured contributions from the Secretary of State for Trade, Amparo López Senovilla; the Secretary of State and Director of the Office of Economic Affairs and G20 at the Presidency of the Government, Manuel de la Rocha Vázquez; and the Director for the Americas at DG INTPA of the European Commission, Félix Fernández-Shaw.

The Director General for Economic and Commercial Intelligence, Juan Luis Gimeno Chocarro, moderated the roundtable discussion with private sector representatives.

ISMC’s Role in Strengthening European Value Chains

During the roundtable, ISMC shared its perspective alongside representatives from Women in Mining, Primigea, SAMCA and Xcalibur Smart Mapping.

In his remarks, Santiago Cuesta-López emphasised that critical raw materials are not merely industrial inputs, but an endogenous resource capable of structuring territories and driving innovation ecosystems, playing a strategic role in delivering a competitive and fair green and digital transition.

Among the key strategic priorities highlighted by ISMC were:

• Building European networks of mining regions and cities

• Developing smart specialisation platforms focused on sustainable mining

• Promoting Spain–Latin America alliances to diversify supply

• Attracting investment through effective public–private cooperation

European Projects as Drivers of Territorial Development

ISMC also underlined the importance of European-funded initiatives as tangible instruments to reinforce industrial value chains. In this regard, projects such as PERMANET, aimed at strengthening the resilience of rare earth permanent magnet supply in Europe, and DEXPLORE, focused on improving access to strategic mineral resources, were highlighted.

These initiatives demonstrate how innovation, international cooperation and structured investment can generate territorial impact while enhancing Europe’s industrial competitiveness.

ISMC: Connecting Territory, Industry and Investment

ISMC’s participation in this High-Level Conference further consolidates its role as a platform connecting territory, industry, innovation and investment, at a decisive moment for the development of critical raw materials policy in Spain and across Europe.

As Cuesta-López concluded, “Critical raw materials are not just industrial inputs; they are a lever for territorial cohesion, innovation and strategic autonomy. If we are able to build solid alliances and attract investment with a full value chain perspective, Spain can position itself as a leader within Europe.”