Speakers

Petri Peltonen

Vice-Minister, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment

Petri Peltonen is Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (MEAE). In this capacity he oversees the policy development and implementation in the sectors of economic growth, enterprise and innovation as well as foreign direct investments.

Prior to taking his current position in 2016, Petri Peltonen was Director General of the Enterprise and Innovation Department at MEAE and the Technology Department at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

From 1996 to 2006, he worked at the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation (Tekes), most recently as Executive Director and member of the management team. From 1987 until 1996, he held several technology development positions at the European Space Agency (ESA) in the Netherlands and in electronics industry in Finland.

The rise of regulatory, social and political risks – and how companies should deal with them

The first World Risk Report by Mining Journal (feat. MineHutte ratings) paints a surprisingly dark picture of the Nordic region. A combination of increasing regulatory, social and political risk is likely to change the way miners look at the otherwise well-functioning and supportive Nordic countries. Miners are experiencing increased difficulties getting exploitation permits approved. In Sweden, not one greenfield exploration project has been granted an exploitation license during the past 10 years. Why is the Nordic region performing poorly in this area and how should miners deal with this new cocktail of risks that furthermore fall outside their traditional strongholds?

Christian Jervelund

Partner, Copenhagen Economics

Christian Jervelund is a partner with economics consultancy Copenhagen Economics. Christian advises goverments and companies on regulatory, social and political risks based on economic modelling and in-depth insight into the mining industry and its stakeholders. The company has its roots in the Nordic countries with offices in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki and Bruxelles.

Mining in Europe – drivers for future success

Industry is the backbone of a sustainable EU economy. It provides the goods we use in everyday life, the jobs we need and is the main engine for trade. Sustainable and competitive industry is the root for smart, innovative growth in Europe the quality of life of EU citizens and motivating sustainability across the world.

Euromines welcomes an ambitious EU Industrial Strategy aimed at a global level-playing field and stable integrated, predictable and proportional legislation.

A coherent industrial policy is vital for ensuring sustainable access to and supply of both resources and energy at competitive prices.

A balanced approach to climate, energy and raw materials policies is required in order to both husband continued European technological excellence along the value chains, and support innovation and investment by new and traditional industries.

Euromines continues to support a sector improving its performance in all areas, be it safety, environmental protection, resource and energy efficiency, and contributing to solutions for combating climate change.

Mark Rachovides

President, Euromines

Euromines is recognised as the representative body of the European metals and minerals mining industry. Mr Rachovides is the first person to serve a third term as President he is also the Chairman of the Euromines Gold Group.

His prior appointments include as Chairman of Deva Gold in Romania, Executive Vice President and Director of European Goldfields a Gold Mining company listed in London and Toronto and Vice Chairman of Hellas Gold a Greek Mining Company. He was also Vice President, Europe at Dundee Resources Limited and spent 11 years at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD.) Mr Rachovides has been involved in a wide variety of projects in the Former Soviet Union, Southern and Eastern Europe. He has been involved with a number of public companies and natural resource projects both as a company director and a financier over the last 25 years. He has also written a number of articles and presentations for Euromines, the LBMA, the World Gold Council, the CBI, PDAC, the Mining Journal, and many other bodies. Mr Rachovides has an MA from Oxford University and an international career in finance and industry spanning 30 years.

The Canadian Connection – ”facilitate cooperation between Canada and Nordic Countries in Mining Investments”

Andrée Noëlle Cooligan

Ambassador of Canada to Finland

Andrée Noëlle Cooligan joined the Department of External Affairs and International Trade in 1991 following work in the airline industry.

Ms. Cooligan has served abroad as Trade Commissioner in Thailand, Senior Trade Commissioner and Consul in Turkey and as Chargé d’affaires and Commercial Program Manager in Finland. Ms. Cooligan was stationed in Cyprus and Turkey during the Government of Canada’s evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon in 2006. In Ottawa, Ms. Cooligan has held management positions as Acting Director and Deputy Director for the Trade Commissioner Service Marketing Division and the Regional Offices Division, as well as in the Communications Bureau, and has served as Desk Officer for Southeast Asia.

Prior to taking on her duties as Canada’s Ambassador to the Republic of Finland, Ms. Cooligan was the Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of Canada in Berlin, Germany from 2010-2013.

A Finnish perspective

Riikka Aaltonen

Senior Adviser, Mineral Policy, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland

Riikka Aaltonen, with an M.Sc. from the University of Turku, is Senior Adviser of Mineral Policy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland since March 2012. She has experience of working in the Finnish Mining Authority and of exploration and mining industry in both Finland and Sweden.

A Norwegian perspective on prospecting and resource potential

Norway is endowed with a rich and diverse geology which has been exploited through many centuries. Mining of metals, most notably base metals, has been the historical backbone of the Norwegian mining industry, but today, industrial minerals are more extensively extracted.
Metal mines include iron, titanium and molybdenum, whereas industrial mineral productions comprise natural graphite, calcite and dolomite, nepheline, olivine, quartz of various qualities and feldspar. The resource potential, however, remains large, also for many other commodities, such as REE, Ni, Cu, Zn, Co and precious metals. Currently, two major metal projects are in feasibility stage; The Nussir copper deposit and the Engebø rutile-garnet deposit. Further industrial mineral projects currently being planned include the Nasafjell quartz deposit and Kvitberget dolomite quarry. The Geological survey of Norway is currently funded to further explore the Fen carbonatite, which is a major European REE resource, with two 1 km deep drill holes.

Agnes Raaness

Geologist, NGU – Geological Survey of Norway

Agnes Raaness (M.Sc. in resource geology, NTNU) work as a researcher and geologist at the mineral resources group at the Geological Survey of Norway, providing knowledge of mineral resources in Norway to the society and prospective industry in Norway since 2004.

A Swedish perspective

Erika Ingvald

Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation, Sweden / Geological Survey of Sweden

Erika Ingvald is a petrologist with many years of experience as a science journalist and information officer. When doing her doctorate, she worked with sedimentary petrology. As a journalist, she covered everything from mines and prospecting to new materials, electronics and IT, working for magazines such as Ny Teknik, Computer Sweden, Metro Teknik and Elektroniktidningen. She is co-author of the Swedish Research Council’s book ”Where Gold Glints Blue: Scientists on the Nanorevolution”, which has been translated into English, and of the book ”The High Coast – a World Heritage Site”, published by the County Administrative Board of Västernorrland, and translated into German and English. She was also the first project leader for Geology Day and was speech writer for the former CEO of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, Lena Treschow Torell.
Erika has been working at SGU since 2007, where she worked as an information officer and press officer until the spring of 2015. She has also been project leader for GeoArena – a meeting place for geology and for GeoTreat – a mobile app for geotourism. In spring 2015, Erika became the Head of Division, Mineral Information and Mining Industry.

Panelist

Peter Walker

Chairman, Arctic Minerals AB

Mr Walker is a British geologist and mining entrepreneur with over 40 years experience in the minerals industry. He graduated in Mining & Exploration Geology in 1973 from the Royal School of Mines in London. He has worked as a geologist, mining investment analyst and metal trader for a number of major companies internationally.

As founder and CEO of Scandinavian Minerals Ltd, he was responsible for the acquisition and development of the Kevitsa nickel-copper-PGE deposit in northern Finland. Scandinavian Minerals went public on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2004 and over the next 3 years raised approximately 100 million Canadian Dollars in equity finance to develop Kevitsa. In 2008, Scandinavian Minerals was acquired in a friendly takeover by First Quantum Minerals for 281 million Canadian Dollars.

Mr Walker is Chairman of Arctic Minerals AB, a Swedish company listed on the Nasdaq First North stock exchange. Arctic Minerals is focused on copper exploration in Finland. Mr. Walker is also an advisor to several international exploration companies. In 2011 he received the Fennoscandian Mining Award for his work in developing the Kevitsa project.

Panelist

Magnus Ericsson

Adjunct Professor of Mineral Economics, Luleå University of Technology

Magnus Ericsson, is a veteran observer and analyst of global mining, his interests going back to the early 1970s. His main interests lie at the cross-roads of social, political and economic impacts of mining.

Magnus is a consulting professor of mineral economics at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. He is a founding member of the newly established Stockholm based RMG Consulting group advising the global mining cluster, including miners, mining-tech companies, governments and international organisations all over the world. His network of contacts is particularly widespread in the Nordic countries, in Brussels, Africa, China and Japan.

Panelist

Jim Coppard

CGeol, EurGeol, MSc

Jim is recognised by his peers as having a uniquely continuous successful track record within the Fennoscandian over the past twenty seven years.

Jim has a BSc (Hons) in Geology and a MSc & Diploma of Imperial College in Mineral Exploration from the Royal School of Mines. He is professionally a Chartered Geologist and Euro Geologist. Awarded by his peers the 5th Fennoscandian Mining Award and the 5th Nordic Exploration Award for his discoveries, concepts and significant contribution in the renaissance of exploration and mining within the Nordic region. He sits on the Pan European Reporting Codes (PERC) committee.

His working career includes the British Geological Survey, nine years with Rio Tinto, fifteen years for Minorco/Anglo American during which time he discovered the Rakkurijarvi IOCG and the Sakatti Cu-Ni-PGE deposit, recognised as the most significant discovery in the Nordic region in the 21st century to date. As an Independent Geological Consultant, he was a founder of Sakumpu Exploration Oy. Recently a founder of Mineral Prospektering i Sverige AB.

Panelist

Saila Miettinen-Lähde

CEO, Endomines AB

Education: Master of Science degree in engineering from the Tampere University of Technology

Experience: Extensive leadership experience including posts as Deputy CEO and CFO of Talvivaara Mining Company Plc during the period 2005 – 2015, most recently as the CFO for F-Secure, a cyber security company listed at Nasdaq Helsinki, Board Membership in Outokumpu Oyj 2015-2017.

Opportunities in Junior Resource Markets

Stan Bharti

Founder and Executive Chairman of Forbes & Manhattan, Inc

Stan Bharti is the founder and Executive Chairman of Forbes&Manhattan, Inc, (www.forbesmanhattan.com) , an international merchant bank and finance house focused on resources and infrastructure, including energy and technology. Forbes in one of the premier mining and energy houses in Canada with operations all over the world. Forbes is recognized around the world as a leader in discovering, financing and building projects through to completion. Forbes has over one thousand professional staff that include engineers and geologists, investment bankers and financiers. The Company does business in most of Africa, several countries in South America ( Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru ) and in most parts of Asia including China, India, Mongolia and Mayanmar.

Raising capital for mining projects in Nordic Countries: Opportunities & Challenges

Rama Ayman

CEO, MMG Capital

Rama Ayman is CEO of MMG Capital with over 25 years of metals and mining investment, private equity advisory and corporate finance experience – MMG Capital is an independent global investment and corporate finance firm specializing in metals and mining sector. Previously, Mr. Ayman was Partner and Global Head of Metals and Mining Corporate Finance at KPMG in London, Managing Director of Hatch Corporate Finance, Corporate VP of M&A at Arcelor, and an investment banker at Deutsche Bank/Bankers Trust in New York and at BNP Paribas in London. Rama Ayman has led numerous M&A and Capital Raising engagements throughout Nordic countries, Europe, Americas, CIS, MENA, Africa, and Asia, covering a wide range of metals including steel and raw materials for steel, as well as precious, base, energy and industrial metals.

The time value of money

Exploration is and always will be a high risk venture that is dependent on the target commodity and the price of the commodity at the time of discovery. So financing an exploration program requires a form of venture capital. Within the Nordic region, National Governments and mining companies must realise that they are in competition for this venture capital. For the investor such as a Private Equity firm commodity selection and patience is key for a Nordic investment.

Gilbert Clark

Partner, The Sentient Group

Mr Clark is a Partner with the Sentient Equity Partners having joined Sentient in 2010. He focuses on investment selection, corporate management and portfolio monitoring. Mr Clark has 20 years of international experience within the natural resource sector spanning capital management, public markets and operational positions. Prior to joining Sentient Equity Partners he managed the international expansion for Queensland Gas Corporation for non-conventional oil and gas developments. Mr Clark has resource development and production experience from the Eastern Gold Fields of Western Australia and the Lachland Fold Belt of New South Wales.

Casper Herler

Managing Partner, Borenius Attorneys Ltd, Helsinki, Finland

Borenius is one of the largest Finnish law firms with 130 lawyers in 4 offices. Dr Herler is responsible for the overall development and management of Borenius and heads the firm’s management team. In addition to his management duties Herler continues to practice and acts as a strategic adviser to industrial and natural resources projects.

Herler joined Borenius in 2010 from another Finnish firm to build up a leading environment & natural resources practice at Borenius. He joined private practice in 2007 and has before that held positions at a leading Finnish consulting firm and at the Ministry of the Environment. Herler has dissertated for the doctoral degree in law in 2008. He continues to teach environmental law at the University of Helsinki. Herler is Vice-Chair of the International Bar Association (IBA) Mining Law Committee.

Pekka Nurmi

Director, Science & Innovations, GTK

Professor Pekka A. Nurmi graduated and gained his Ph.D. at the University of Helsinki. He has a long career at the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), and is currently the Director of Science and Innovations, and the vice of the Director General. Nurmi has been actively involved in developing RDI programmes, research co-operation and projects in Finland and internationally, and in promoting Finland’s mineral opportunities for the mining industry. He has published some 90 papers mainly on economic geology. In 2010 Nurmi lead the expert group preparing Finland’s minerals strategy, and he is one of the developers of Finland’s Green Mining concept. Nurmi is a high level group member of the European Technology Platform on Sustainable Mineral Resources. He a Steering Group member of the EIT RawMaterials Baltic Sea Co-location Centre. Nurmi has been awarded on research which led to the discovery of the Orivesi gold mine, and as an editor of the Finnish science book of the year.

Andor Lips

VP Government Relations Europe, Eldorado Gold

Dr. Andor Lips is since 2018 acting as VP Government Relations Europe for Eldorado Gold. He has been working in the mineral resources sector since 1993, from exploration geologist for several companies, for the French government, and as Technical Director of Lydian International with a grassroots gold discovery in Armenia . Between 2010-2015 he worked as a senior banker in mining finance for ING Bank responsible for structured debt transactions to mining corporates and juniors. From 2016 and 2017 het was Director and Fund Manager of Commodity Discovery Fund, an open-ended fund specialized in equity investments in mineral exploration and development companies. Furthermore, he is a consultant for the European Commission.

Listing and capital raising on the stock exchange

Nasdaq is one of the largest, most liquid and efficient cash equity market in Europe. A listing on Nasdaq provides maximum access and visibility to global and local investors. With our world-leading exchange technology, high liquidity and best execution, our market is an efficient place to trade. For small growth companies as well as large established companies, Nasdaq offers a unique and attractive market.

Erja Retzén

Senior Managing Director, Nasdaq

Erja Retzén is Senior Managing Director at Nasdaq, Global Listing Services. She works closely with existing and future issuers listed on Nasdaq Nordic, and furthermore operates within the mining and exploration companies, as well as in the gaming sector and Poland. Erja joined Nasdaq in 2005 and has held several positions within the company. Previous to Nasdaq Erja had a number of manager roles within marketing communications, business excellence and project management. Erja holds a M.Sc. (Eng.) in industrial engineering and management, and has also graduated from Oulu Mining School’s GeoPros PD program.

Lithium mining for fast growing markets

Keliber Oy is a Finnish near-term mining company with an objective to become the first company to produce high-purity lithium carbonate from spodumene in Europe. High-purity lithium carbonate will be produced to meet the rapidly growing needs of the international lithium battery market.

Keliber holds rights to several advanced lithium deposits in the Central Ostrobothnian lithium province. The company has a valid mining license for a deposit in Länttä, Ullava. The area of Central Ostrobothnian lithium province has excellent potential for further increasing the company’s mineral resources and discovering new deposits.

Keliber is owned by Finnish institutional and private investors and the Norwegian mining industry investment company Nordic Mining.

Prof. Pertti Lamberg

CEO, Keliber Oy

Pertti Lamberg (PhD, geology) CEO of Keliber Oy, Finnish company targeting to be producer of high quality lithium carbonate in near future. Pertti has more than 20 years’ experience in mining industry and academia.

He has held several positions in Outokumpu and Outotec the last one being Director at Outotec Oyj (Plant Products). 2011-2016 Pertti worked as a Professor in Geometallurgy in Luleå University of Technology.

Pertti has wide technical expertise from exploration, resource characterization, geometallurgy and process design.

Mining a future in the Nordics – ”Staying the distance”

Beowulf is a Nordic focused, exploration and development company, with an appetite for M&A and cashflow. The Company’s most advanced project, the Kallak iron ore project in northern Sweden, has a defined resource of over 150MT, and can produce a clean concentrate over 71% iron content. During the last two years, Beowulf has focused exploration efforts on its graphite projects in Finland, where at Aitolampi 1,197m has been drilled, and in early metallurgical testwork using a simple, yet efficient flowsheet, a concentrate has been produced grading 96.8%- 97.5% total carbon. Within three years, Beowulf’s objective is to be a producer and selling value-added graphite products. Beowulf is also actively exploring its Åtvidaberg exploration licence in southern Sweden, which is prospective for base metals.

Kurt Budge

CEO, Beowulf Mining

Appointed CEO of Beowulf Mining in October 2014. Kurt has over 20 years’ experience in the mining sector, during which he has worked in Rio Tinto’s Business Evaluation Department, been an independent advisor to junior mining companies, as well as a GM Business Development for an AIM listed iron ore mining company. Kurt was Vice President of Pala Investments AG, a mining focused private equity firm, and has worked as a mining analyst. During the earlier part of his career he held several senior operations and planning roles in the UK coal industry with RJB Mining. Kurt holds an M.Eng (Hons) degree in Mining Engineering from The Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London and an MBA from London Business School.

Masterplan for a thriving Nordic exploration financing ecosystem

Specialized markets for funding exploration exist in few places in the world. Most notably in Australia, Canada and London, however secondary markets are starting to become more significant. A broad ecosystem, including but not limited to buy and sell side bankers, analysts, investors, exchange participants and entrepreneurs creates checks and balances for the system to thrive. What do we need to do in the Nordics to develop such a system overtime that will support exploration and lead to the next generation of mines to create significant in-country value creation?

Michael Hudson

Chairman, CEO and Director, Mawson Resources

Mr. Michael Hudson, B.Sc. (Hons 1st) GDipAppFin, FAusIMM, MSEG, MAIG, is an explorationist, geologist and entrepreneur. He started his career in 1990 working in mines as an underground and exploration geologist. Over the last 18 years he has developed and financed mineral exploration properties on four continents. In 2004 he founded and has subsequently headed Mawson Resources Ltd (TSX:MAW), a gold exploration company in Ylitornio, Finland as Chairman & CEO. Mr. Hudson is also a founder and director of both Leading Edge Material Ltd (TSXv:LEM), a battery raw material supply company in Sweden and Hannan Metals Ltd (TSXv:HAN), a zinc exploration company in Ireland.

Pahtavaara – finding equilibrium between exploration and development

Since acquiring the Pahtavaara Project in 2016, Rupert Finland Oy has been fully engaged in the redevelopment of the property with a view to restarting production and fully evaluating the considerable potential of the 225km2 contiguous land package. Rupert’s team of finnish geologists and international recognised consultants has completed its first summer of fieldwork and re-interpretated existing data including 300,000m of historical drilling to generate a new geological model for the property.

James Withall

Chief Executive Officer, Rupert Resources Ltd

James Withall joined Rupert Resources in April 2017 and has over twenty years’ experience in mining. He was previously a Managing Partner and Fund Manager at Baker Steel Capital Managers. He was the lead manager of the award winning Baker Steel Global Funds Precious Metals Fund that was voted the top performing Gold and Precious Metals Equities Fund by Thomson Reuter Lipper Fund Awards, over 3 years in 2016 and, 3 and 5 years in 2017, throughout Europe. James was also awarded two gold medals by Sauren Fund Research in 2016 for excellent fund management in the category “Equity Goldmines”. James worked for more than seven years as a geologist, working in Western Australia for number of gold mining companies in exploration, project and mine geologist roles, before joining the development team of the Xstrata Windimurra vanadium project. James has a degree in Applied Geology from Leicester University and a Masters in Mineral Project Appraisal from Imperial College, London.

Critical Raw Materials – A Sweet Spot for the Nordic Mining Industry

Critical raw materials are creating a host of new investment opportunities, driven by the bourgeoning demand for low carbon methods of energy storage and generation. The tools and technology for this generational energy shift are driven by new materials with specific and unique functions that have not previously seen significant demand. The Nordic region, which lies at the cross roads of a deep resources industry and the leading edge of technology, presents the perfect location for the development extensive high value supply chains based on the secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials.

Mark Saxon

CEO, Leading Edge

Mr, Mark Saxon, B.Sc. (Hons 1st) GDipAppFin, FAusIMM, MAIG brings 25 years of experience as a geologist and explorer, with a decade long focus on critical raw materials in Europe. He established the foundations of his career with a major Australian mining house, before progressing into junior markets as the co-founder of a number of successful Nordic focused explorers. As CEO of Tasman Metals Ltd, he lead the team that showed the Norra Kärr project in Sweden to be one of the major global deposits for rare earth elements, zirconium, hafnium and niobium. Mr. Saxon was founding Vice President of the Critical Raw Materials Alliance in Brussels, a participant in the recently formed EU Battery Alliance, and a Director of battery materials company Leading Edge Materials (TSX.v:LEM).

A new supply of Rutile and Garnet to Europe

Ivar Fossum

CEO, Nordic Mining ASA

Ivar has 20 years’ experience from management positions in Norsk Hydro (oil/gas and fertilizers) and FMC Technologies. He has a broad international experience and has been general manager of Norsk Hydro East Africa Ltd. in Nairobi, Kenya. Ivar holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway. He has served as CEO for Nordic Mining since 2006. Mr. Fossum resides in Asker, Norway.

EMX exploration update; royalty generation in Scandinavia

EMX Royalty Corporation is a company that specializes in creative approaches to metals exploration and the generation of novel exploration opportunities. We have a talented team of entrepreneurial geologists around the world that are constantly seeking out new discoveries. I help manage our exploration operations and support our global explorers. My goal is to facilitate multiple mineral discoveries in our group and build value for our shareholders by following the royalty generation business model.

As part of our business approach, EMX utilizes partnerships with other companies to advance our assets, while EMX retains a royalty interest. This allows us to develop value in many more projects than we would be capable of advancing on our own, while maintaining upside exposure to discovery in a wide variety of projects via our royalty interests. Our industry partners include many of the world’s premier mining companies, as well as a host of smaller exploration and development companies. At present, EMX has interests in over 80 exploration and mining projects around the world, spanning fourteen countries and four continents. We believe the royalty portfolio approach provides the best chance of long term success in such a risk-intensive business.

Dr. Eric Jensen

General Manager of Exploration, EMX Royalty Corp

Dr. Jensen has over 17 years of industry experience including positions as mine geologist, mine-site exploration geologist, grassroots exploration geologist, and as a consultant to several major mining companies. Dr. Jensen is a co-founder of Bronco Creek Exploration and has extensive experience in the planning and implementation of regional- to project-scale exploration programs. He has relevant exploration, research and academic experience in mineral deposits related to alkaline magmatism, ”high- and low-sulfidation” epithermal gold deposits, porphyry-style deposits, mesothermal lode gold systems, and iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) systems. Dr. Jensen graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota in 1993 with a B.A. in Geology, and received his Ph.D. in Economic Geology from the Center for Mineral Resources at the University of Arizona in 2003.

Sunstone Metals – Copper, Gold, Lithium in Scandinavia

Malcolm Norris

CEO & Managing Director, Sunstone Metals

Mr Norris is a senior mining industry professional with extensive experience in business management, mineral exploration, development of new business opportunities and asset transactions. His roles have covered a wide range of commodities, geographic locations and management of global portfolios of projects in both large and small organisations.
Mr Norris holds an MSc in Geology and a Masters in Applied Finance. He has more than 30 years of industry experience and in the last 15 years has focused primarily on corporate roles. Previous experience has included 23 years with WMC Resources, followed by roles with Intrepid Mines and SolGold. Mr Norris has lead teams that have made significant discoveries of copper-gold deposits in Indonesia and Ecuador, and delivered significant shareholder returns.

Innovative Energy Efficient Silver Mine

Sotkamo Silver has finalised the financing package and the Silver Mine project is fully funded. The project is fully permitted, and the mine construction decision has been made. The works are now proceeding with full speed towards production start-up as planned in early 2019. Sotkamo Silver AB is listed in NGM Equity stock exchange (SOSI) in Stockholm and parallel listed in Nasdaq Helsinki, main list (SOSI1). The company has more than 13,000 shareholder.

Timo Lindborg

CEO, Sotkamo Silver

Dr. Tech. Lindborg has his Doctor’s degree in Industrial Economics at the University of Oulu, Finland. Lindborg took his Masters of Science in Civil Engineering (Water and Environmental Engineering) at the University of Oulu in 1988. Before that, he took his B.Sc. in Quaternary Geology and Geology at the University of Uppsala, Sweden, in 1982.

Dr. Lindborg has been working with mining related issues since 1978. He is CEO of the Sotkamo Silver AB. He has established and built up Sotkamo Silver AB in Sweden and its subsidiaries Sotkamo Silver Oy in Finland. Dr. Lindborg has been lecturing as a professor in Mineral Entrepreneurship at Oulu University and Luleå University of Technology during 2010-2013. Before Sotkamo Silver Dr. Lindborg acted as CEO of Endomines AB. He is one of the founding entrepreneurs of Endomines, one of the first junior mining companies in Finland. Lindborg founded industrial mineral company Kalvinit Oy, which developed the Kälviä ilmenite project. Lindborg has been participating in the development of the Björkdal gold mine and Pahtavaara gold mine as a strategic and environment consultant at the beginning of 1990’s. Dr. Lindborg has been responsible for the feasibility studies of Pampalo Gold mine, Silver Mine and Kalvinit ilmenite mine projects. He has a long experience in gathering financing, developing and managing exploration and mining projects in Nordic countries.

Restarting the Laiva Mine near Raahe

Short intro – The deposit that became the Laiva Mine was discoveredin early 1980s by amateur explorers. It changed hands several times until it was acquired by Nordic Mines in 2005. A mining lease was granted in 2009 and the first dore was cast in 2011. Production was halted in 2014 and the mine was on care and maintenance until 2017 when it was acquired by Firesteel. Production is scheduled to restart in August 2018. We will look at some of the mistakes made under the previous owners and the significant learning before returning to production.

Michael Hepworth

President and CEO, Firesteel Resources

Mr. Hepworth is an accomplished entrepreneur and business leader with more than 35 years diverse international business experience. Mr. Hepworth has started and built 5 successful businesses from the ground up. He also consulted and advised businesses, in many sectors including professional and financial services, high tech, engineering and manufacturing. Mr. Hepworth has over 12 years of corporate development experience in the resources industry. He is experienced negotiator of technology agreements, corporate acquisitions and divestitures.

FinnCobalt – an advanced brownfield cobalt mine development project

FinnCobalt (aka Vulcan Hautalampi Oy) is a private Finnish company, which owns the ground and all mining rights of the Hautalampi Cobalt-Nickel-Copper Mine. The Hautalampi Mine is located in Outokumpu town and has been previously known as the Cobalt-Nickel parallel of the historic Outokumpu (Keretti) Copper mine.

The current NI-43-101 compliant mining reserve is 2.2 Mt @ Ni 0.38%, Co 0.10%, Cu 0.32%. The production plan is based on a 7-year underground mining operation with an average annual mining rate of 350 000 t @ 0.4% Ni, 0.3% Cu, 0.1% Co via an existing underground decline.

The deposit has an Environmental Permit and Mining Concession in force and will be, after a short construction period, ready to start production.

This winter FinnCobalt will be drilling for metallurgical samples. The aim of the metallurgical test work is, together with Outotec Oyj, to develop a process to produce battery grade Co- and Ni-chemicals from the concentrates produced from the Hautalampi deposit. Next step will be preparation of a pre/full feasibility study and selection of the processing plant location. Options for processing are toll-processing in the nearby Luikonlahti plant (operated by Boliden) or construction of own processing plant.

Markus Ekberg

Co-owner, FinnCobalt

Markus Ekberg has over 35 years’ experience of designing and management of mines and mining projects in Finland, Norway, Ireland and Australia. Markus has worked with base metals (zinc, copper and nickel) as well as gold and chromium and industrial minerals. Previous positions include: CEO Endomines Ab 2009-2017; Chairman of the Finnish Mining Association; General Manager Hitura Nickel mine, Finland; Resident Manager Pahtavaara Gold Mine; Project Manager Tara Mines, Ireland; Project Manager Outokumpu Australia; Mine Manager Nikkel og Olivin, Norway; Chief Geologist Bidjovagge Gold Mine, Norway; Chief Geologist, Pyhäsalmi Mine, Finland. Qualified Person, Australian JORC and Canadian NI-43-101 stock exchange codes, Eurogeologist.

Urban Mining – urban legend?

Ferrovan Oy is a private finnish company with a mission is to restart vanadium production in Finland by extracting vanadium from by-products of the Finnish and Swedish steel industry.

Jukka Pitkäjärvi

CEO, Ferrovan Oy

Jukka Pitkäjärvi (M.Sc., MAusIMM) has over 30 years experience of exploration and mining business. He worked over 20 years in the Outokumpu Group mines and projects in Finland, Australia, Canada and Russia before joining Talvivaara Plc in 2007. In 2012 he joined Mustavaaran Kaivos Oy as Project Manager and in 2014 he was appointed Managing Director of the company.
In January 2018 he became CEO of Ferrovan Oy.

Harry Sandström

Programme Director, Mining Finland

Kaj Lax

Head of Department, Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU)

Kaj Lax is originally from Ostrobothnia, Finland. He studied geochemistry at Åbo Akademi University, and is a Doctor of Technology at the Luleå University of Technology.
He has been Head of Department for Mineral Resources at SGU since 2010; before this he was the Head of the Mineral Information Resources Office in Malå.

Lennart Gustavsson

Georange

Lennart Gustavsson has extensive experience of working in politics. He has been involved in Swedish politics at the local, regional and national level for almost 25 years. He was a member of parliament from 1998 to 2006, during which time he was also a member of the Nordic Council.