Benchmark Week 2026

10th - 11th November, 2026

Pudong Shangri-La

33 Fucheng Rd, Lujiazui, Pudong

Shanghai, China

Benchmark Week 2026

Time and Location

10th - 11th November, 2026

Pudong Shangri-La

33 Fucheng Rd, Lujiazui, Pudong

Shanghai, China

In Person Event

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Our agenda features a host of battery supply chain insights who will share in-depth analysis of critical mineral markets through to downstream demand drivers, including EVs and ESS.

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Tuesday 10th November, 2026

09:00 - 09:10

Benchmark Opening Keynote

09:10 - 09:45

Fireside Chat: The Lifetime Achievement Award

Robin Zeng, Founder, Chairman & CEO of CATL will receive the pristegious Benchmark lifetime achievement award, presented to him by former winner and former CTO at CATL, Bob Galyen, followed by a fireside chat

09:45 - 10:00

Keynote: China’s Role in Powering the Global Energy Transition

A landmark keynote from one of China’s most influential battery material / EV producers on how the world’s largest supply chain ecosystem is evolving and where the next wave of growth will come from.

10:00 - 10:15

Keynote: Securing Critical Minerals for a Sustainable Future

A global mining perspective on the challenges and strategies for meeting surging demand for battery raw materials, from lithium to copper.

10:15 - 10:30

Keynote: The Global Perspective: Trade Lines & Opportunities

How the EU’s Critical Raw Minerals Act will affect trade flows, and opportunities between China and the rest of the world.

10:30 - 11:00

Morning Coffee Break

11:00 - 11:15

Benchmark Lithium Market Update

A Benchmark analyst will walk us through pricing trends, supply-demand balances, and capacity forecasts for the global lithium market through 2030.

11:15 - 11:30

Keynote: The Lithium Supply Challenge - Can Production Keep Pace with Demand?

A flagship keynote from one of the world's largest lithium producers on the state of global supply, the project pipeline through 2030, and the future trends shaping pricing, chemistry mix and geographic balance.

11:30 - 11:45

Keynote: Upstream Lithium - From Brine to Hard Rock to DLE

A leading upstream producer on the realities of lithium expansion – brine, hard rock and DLE – and whether current investment levels can meet 2030 demand.

11:45 - 12:00

Keynote: Lithium Chemicals - Refining the World's Battery-Grade Supply

A leading lithium compound producer on capacity build-out, conversion economics, and the outlook for battery-grade carbonate and hydroxide.

12:00 - 12:15

Benchmark Cobalt & Nickel Market Update

A combined look at the cobalt and nickel markets – how Class 1 nickel supply, Indonesian HPAL expansion, and DRC cobalt dynamics are reshaping the landscape.

12:15 - 12:30

Keynote: The Evolving Cobalt & Nickel Supply Chain - Navigating Surplus, Quotas & New Chemistries

How are producers and consumers adapting to shifting nickel supply from Indonesia, cobalt export quotas, and the rise of LFP? And what does this mean for investment?

12:30 - 12:45

Keynote: Indonesia’s Nickel Ambitions: Policy, Production & Downstream Integration

A keynote from Indonesia’s Mining Ministry on the country’s strategy to move beyond raw material exports and become a fully integrated battery materials hub.

12:45 - 13:00

Keynote: Africa’s Critical Minerals Opportunity - Unlocking the Continent’s Potential

A government-level perspective on how African nations are positioning to become key players in the global battery supply chain – from cobalt and lithium to graphite and nickel.

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch

14:00 - 15:00

Benchmark Graphite & Anode Market Update

Natural vs. synthetic graphite dynamics, anode capacity expansion, and the build out of global anode supply chains.

14:15 - 14:30

Keynote: Scaling the Global Anode Supply Chain - The Tier-One Producer View

A world-leading anode producer on how synthetic and natural graphite capacity is being built out across China and overseas, the economics of localisation, and what it takes to supply the next generation of cell makers at scale.

14:30 - 14:45

Keynote: Anode R&D - Silicon, Next-Gen Chemistries & the Road Beyond Graphite

Where anode technology is heading — silicon-carbon composites, hard carbon, lithium-metal and other next-generation chemistries — and what commercialisation timelines mean for upstream raw-material demand.

14:45 - 15:10

Afternoon Coffee Break

15:10 - 15:25

Benchmark Cathode Market Update

On tracking cathode and precursor capacity build-out across Korea, Morocco, Indonesia and Europe, regional sourcing-driven arbitrage in pricing and which producers are winning the race to expand global.

15:25 - 15:40

Keynote: Cathode Market Dynamics - The Tier-One Producer View

A leading global cathode producer on the state of the cathode market, the competitive dynamics between LFP and high-nickel, capacity build-out across China and overseas, and how tier-one producers are positioning for the next phase of demand growth.

15:40 - 16:20

Panel: The Cathode Landscape - Chemistry Wars, Capacity Races & Regional Strategies

A deep dive into the battle between cathode chemistries, how producers are positioning for the next phase of demand growth, and how leading Chinese battery-materials companies are deploying capital into overseas production plants and projects

16:20 - 16:35

Benchmark Copper Market Update

The role of copper in electrification – supply constraints, demand from EVs, grid infrastructure, and datacentres.

16:35 - 16:50

Keynote: China's Position in the Global Copper Industry

On China's role as both producer and consumer, international partnerships and supply chains and future trends in global trade

17:05 - 19:05

Networking Drinks

Wednesday 11th November, 2026

09:30 - 09:40

Benchmark Opening Keynote: Day 2

Benchmark Minerals opens Day Two with a forward-looking view of the themes to watch in 2027 and beyond.

09:40 - 10:00

Keynote: International Governments on China-ROW Collaboration

10:00 - 10:20

Keynote: The EV Revolution - China, Europe and the Race for Market Share

A headline keynote examining where the global EV market is headed, the competitive dynamics between Chinese and Western OEMs, and the supply chain implications.

10:20 - 10:40

Benchmark Update: ESS & EV Demand

Tracking the demand signals – global EV sales trajectories, energy storage deployment, and what they mean for raw material consumption.

10:40 - 11:20

Panel: Energy Storage, Grid-Scale Batteries & the Next Demand Frontier

How the ESS market is scaling, which chemistries are winning, and the infrastructure investment needed to support the grid of the future.

11:20 - 11:50

Morning Coffee Break

11:50 - 12:10

Keynote: The New Demand Drivers: Datacentres, Drones & Robotics

Beyond EVs and ESS – how the explosion of AI-driven datacentres, commercial drones, and industrial robotics is creating new and significant demand for battery materials and critical minerals.

12:10 - 12:50

Panel: Financing the Energy Transition - Where Capital Meets Critical Minerals

Investors, miners, and processors discuss the capital allocation challenge – what it takes to get projects funded, the role of offtake agreements, and how ESG is shaping deal flow.

13:10 - 13:30

Case Study Keynote: Project Profile

This session will profile an ex-China project, looking at the building of independent processing & refining networks

13:30 - 14:30

Closing Lunch

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