The network to strengthen the Nordic minerals sector.

Katri Kulmuni
Member of the European Parliament, Renew Europe Group

As the northernmost MEP in the EU, Katri Kulmuni’s political work focuses on improving everyday life also in Northern Europe, as well as on driving a more competitive and strategically autonomous Europe, focusing on natural resources and energy policies. In the European Parliament, Kulmuni is a member of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, and a substitute member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Before becoming a Member of the European Parliament, she served in the Finnish Parliament, and she also has served as Minister of Economic Affairs and Minister of Finance.

Mikael Staffas
CEO, Boliden 

Staffas became President and CEO of Boliden in 2018. Staffas has been at Boliden, and a part of Group Management, since 2011. First he held the position as CFO, and from 2015 he has been the Director of Business Area Mines. In addition, he serves as Chairman of the International Zinc Association and is a board member of the International Copper Association, ICMM. His previous experience include positions as CFO for Södra Skogsägarna as well as partner at McKinsey & Co. Mikael Staffas holds a M.Sc. Engineering from Royal Institute of Technology and a MBA from INSEAD. 

Christian Keldsen 
CEO,  Greenland Business Association  

Greenland Business Association is Greenland´s largest NGO. Christian Keldsen has a strong background in the Greenland business community as well as an international outlook. He has had management positions with Air Greenland and was one of the founders of the success Visiobox Consulting which is one of the leading Greenlandic consulting firms. He is the honorary consul for Great Britain and Northern Ireland and generally involved in the local community in Greenland. He holds several board positions in Greenland. 

Colin Moon
Business Speaker and International Communications Specialist, Colin Moon Communications AB 

Colin is an anthropologist and nowadays a professional business speaker; his talks are intended as a practical guide for everyone who experiences cultural differences when working in an international environment. Colin has had a varied career and worked as lecturer, coach and mentor in many different countries in areas such as business communication and intercultural awareness. He now runs his own consultancy company based in Stockholm and is a much sought after keynote speaker. And you are about to discover why..

Maria Antikainen 

Offering Sustainability Lead, Product Compliance, Sandvik Mining 

At Sandvik Mining, Mari Antikainen drives product sustainability strategy and embeds circularity and transparency across R&D roadmaps and the commercial offering. During last year, Sandvik also committed to Circular Economy Green Deal initiative with ambitious goals. Maria has an established track record of directing research initiatives in sustainable business models and the circular economy, with her published work cited by both academic experts and industry practitioners. Maria’s academic background is strongly rooted in the field, holding Ph.D.s in Marketing and Technology Management, and the title of Docent at Tampere University. 

Niclas Dahlström
Manager of Social Innovation, Swedish Metals and Minerals, Sr. Project Manager, LTU Business 

After a career as teacher and headmaster, Niclas has more than a 20-years experience as a senior manager and senior project manager in and around the mining business. Specializing at WSL, SLO, CR, communication and marketing. Now working for LTU Business, member in the program board for Swedish Metals and Minerals where he is responsible for the Social innovation, is also engaged in the program office for the Swedish Mining Innovation program and board member in Georange. 

Saeed Chelgani
Professor, Director of the Swedish School of Mines, LTU

Saeed Chelgani is a mineral processing professor at Lulea University of Technology (LTU). He has been among the top 2% of scientists worldwide since the list was generated, was formerly the director of the Swedish School of Mines, and is currently the director of the Center for Advanced Mining and Metallurgy (CAMM-SFO) at LTU.

Mahdi Shabanimaschool
Senior Researcher, NGI

Mahdi Shabanimashcool is currently the Technical Lead and co-coordinator of the EU Horizon–funded DINAMINE project, which focuses on developing digital technologies for small- to medium-sized mines in Europe. Prior to joining NGI, he was an Associate Professor of Mining Engineering at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway. His main areas of expertise include underground mine design, rock mass caving, pillar design, and mine backfilling.

Mari Pilventö 
CEO, Tapojärvi Group 

Tapojärvi Group is an international family-owned company specializing in mining services and industrial circular economy. Under her leadership, the company has expanded its operations in Europe, developed new low-carbon products, and gained recognition as a pioneer in circular economy. Pilventö brings to the discussion her perspective on how the utilization of industrial side streams can support the green transition and sustainable growth.

Peder Blikra Egeland
Group & Sales Director, Nordic Bulk 

Nordic Bulk is one of the leading plant builders in the Nordic Countries. Nordic Bulk provides plants solutions based on a green future with focus low emissions and efficient operations. After joining the company 11 years back, Peder Egeland has together with the team lifted the company from a local supplier to become a full EPC house for this branch. He is now group manager with strong focus on sales and project development. He has a bachelor as mechanical engineer and over 10 years of experience in mining and aggregate operations. And the main focus is to understand the process and involve the operational team to develop the new plants for the customers. The future is coming towards us in high speed, new solutions need to observe, analyze and adapt to keep ahead.

Erik Ronne
Research Manager Sustainability, Boliden

Erik Ronne holds a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry (1994) and has more than 20 years of experience in the chemical process industry, working in various research and innovation management roles. He previously served as Manager of Corporate Nanotechnology Research and later as Global Innovation Manager at AkzoNobel. In 2015, Erik was appointed Vice President of Innovation at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. Since 2021, he has been Manager of Sustainability Research at Boliden Mines, overseeing areas such as environmental research, extractive waste, social license to operate, biodiversity, and climate impact.

Sindre Stemshaug Bornstein
CEO, Nordic Innovation

Nordic Innovation ia an institution under the Nordic Council of Ministers, owned and funded by the Nordic governments, and working to strengthen sustainable growth, collaboration, and competitiveness across the Nordic region. Sindre brings international experience spanning diplomacy, industrial development, and impact-driven technology ventures. He firmly supports the development of a strong and forward-thinking Nordic innovation ecosystem.

Jarno Mäkinen
Technology Manager, Finnish Minerals Group

Jarno Mäkinen’s current responsibility at Finnish Minerals Group is to lead the development of REE recovery technologies for Sokli project. Before joining the Finnish Minerals Group and Sokli project, he was a leading researcher on the field of metallurgy.

Satu Penttinen
Head of Zero waste mining and critical minerals, Business Finland

Satu Penttinen has over 15 years of experience in the mining & mineral industry. Satu has been working in different international positions focusing on areas such as B2B sales, industrial minerals, metals & mining and industrial circular economy. With experience in both industrial side and her current position at Business Finland, Satu highlights the importance of Finland’s mining and mineral sector and is committed to boost companies targeting to ambitious global growth. At Business Finland, Satu leads the Zero Waste Mining and Critical Minerals campaign, which aims to increase strategic raw material availability and supports the sustainable renewal of Finnish mining and mineral sector.

Lennart Richardsen
Senior director, Origination and Corporate Advisory, Nordic Investment Bank

Lennart (a Norwegian-Finnish citizen) brings a strategic view to the intersection of finance and extractive industries, with a particular focus on sustainability and market development. His experience positions him as a valuable contributor to discussions on mining finance and sustainable development in resource-intensive sectors.

Benedicte Sognefest
Senior Innovation Adviser, Nordic Innovation 

Benedicte Sognefest is working on critical raw materials and circular business models, with extensive experience in public funding and innovation support at national and EU level. She works at the intersection of policy, innovation and industry, with broad experience from the Nordic and European innovation ecosystem.

Nani Pajunen
Senior Lead, Sitra

In addition to working at Sitra, Nani Pajunen works at Turku UAS as a leading specialist. She has over 25 years of experience in industry, academia, and consultancy. In her work, she focuses on systemic change from a linear economy towards a sustainable and fair global economy, by developing solutions where global market economy is based on the sustainable use of natural resources and low-carbon circular economy business. Her expertise is to help different sectors of society, public and private organizations to succeed in an uncertain market situation when sustainability crisis and lack of energy and raw materials are reality. Nani holds a doctorate in material science, a licentiate environmental law, and a master’s in civil engineering, with additional qualifications as a vocational teacher.

Matti Aksela
VP – AI and Enterprise Intelligence Platforms, Outokumpu

Matti Aksela holds a doctorate in machine learning and has led data and AI initiatives and organizations across start-ups and listed companies. At Outokumpu, his focus is on driving value through the use of data and AI.

Marja Lehtonen
Head of Unit – Circular Economy Solutions, GTK

 Marja Lehtonen leads the Circular Economy Solutions Unit at GTK, which includes GTK Mintec in Outokumpu and the Espoo Research Laboratory, part of the Circular Raw Materials Hub in Otaniemi. Her team’s expertise spans mineral processing, geometallurgy, applied mineralogy, geochemistry, and isotope geology, supporting sustainable raw material solutions for the circular economy.

Ulrika Bohman Troubat
Director, Corporate Affairs, Yara 

 Ulrika Bohman Troubat holds an M.Sc. from the Stockholm School of Economics and has over 20 years of international experience across industry, consulting, and tech entrepreneurship. With a strong background in global business development, she has led P&L operations and multicultural teams for more than 15 years. As Director of Public Affairs & Industry Relations at Yara, Ulrika drives strategic engagement across policy, regulation, and key stakeholders, translating complex external developments into impactful business strategy.

David Hovland
Senior Manager, Mining and Sourcing development, Yara

 David Hovland holds an M.Sc. in Rock Mechanical Design from NTNU and has over 15 years of experience in mining and project development. He began his career in the coal mines of Svalbard and later joined Yara International, contributing to global phosphate and potash projects across all phases from concept to commissioning. In recent years, he has also served on the Expert Technical Committee for Nordic Mining’s Engebø rutile and garnet project, supporting its construction and ramp‑up. 

Henrik Schiellerup
Director, Resources and Environment, Geological Survey of Norway

 
Henrik Schiellerup has a PhD from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and an MSc from the University of Aarhus in Denmark. Since 2001 he has been working at the Geological Survey of Norway both as a researcher and in various managerial roles. His professional background is in igneous petrology and mineral resources. 

Pekka Suomela
Executive Director, Finnish Mining Association (FinnMin)

 Pekka Suomela was appointed Executive Director of the Finnish Mining Association FinnMin in April 2012. Based in Helsinki, FinnMin is the national organisation for the Finnish mining cluster. Its members are engaged in mining, mineral exploration, mining equipment, and technology. Previously, since 2007, he worked for the Ministry of Employment and Economy as the Chief Inspector of Mines. Mr. Suomela has gathered broad experience in mineral policy issues. He holds over 20 years of professional experience. He is a Master of Law from the University of Helsinki, Finland, 1989. 

Hannu Lahtinen
Director of Availability of Raw Materials, Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) 

 Over the last 20 years, Hannu Lahtinen has worked in the mining industry and in the field of geological research. Lahtinen has broad expertise from exploration, mineral resource estimation, and engineering geology in various development and managerial positions. Previously Lahtinen worked at a major mining company in Finland as Chief Geologist. Currently he manages GTK’s operations in the Mineral Economy, Geophysics and Circular Economy units, including GTK Mintec Pilot Plant and Laboratories. 

Tuija Kalpala
CEO, Betolar

 Betolar Plc is a materials‑technology and circular‑economy company that turns industrial sidestreams into scalable solutions for mining, metals, and low‑carbon construction. Tuija Kalpala joined Betolar in October 2023 as Chief Operating Officer and was appointed President and CEO in April 2024. Kalpala has over two decades of international leadership experience in Europe and North America, including global leadership roles at Neste Corporation. At Betolar, she focuses on accelerating the adoption of the company’s proprietary metal‑extraction technology and circular cement solutions, alongside material sales of industrial sidestreams. In addition to her executive role, Kalpala serves on the Board of Directors of Lassila & Tikanoja Plc.

Pia Prestmo
Head of Public Affairs, Heidelberg Materials

Pia Prestmo heads Public Affairs for Heidelberg Materials in Norway. She has worked with domestic and international politics and media the last two decades, both as part of the editorial staff at the national newspaper Dagbladet, as well as Head of Communication at the Conservative Party in Oslo and Head of Corporate Affairs for Philip Morris International.  

Kaj Lax
Head of Department Mineral Resources, Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU)

Kaj Lax is Head of the Mineral Resources Department at the Geological Survey of Sweden, SGU, Uppsala.

He has a background in geochemistry, and as Head of the Mineral Information Office in Malå.

Steinar Løve Ellefmo
Professor, Department of Geoscience, NTNU

Professor Steinar Løve Ellefmo is a recognised expert in mining geostatistics and mineral resource management with more than 20 years of experience in mining related interdisciplinary education and research. Prof. Ellefmo has been involved in, large-scale national and international projects and project initiatives, including Blue Mining (FP7), DeepREx (Horizon Europe proposal), InRec and MarMine (NRC: KPN projects), JPIO Mining Impact and the Deep-Sea Mining Pilot Program (NTNU). In this work he has gained experience in managing partnerships between academia, industry, and governmental stakeholders. 

Touko Apajalahti
Head of Education Policy, Technology Industries Finland

Touko Apajalahti works as Head of Education Policy at Technology Industries Finland, an association representing over 1800 Finnish technology companies. His main expertise if from higher education, having worked for 15 years within higher education management and development, external evaluation and related policy matters. At Tech Finland he is also responsible for skills foresight work of the sector, including quantitative workforce needs anticipation and thematic skills foresight insights called the skills pulse.