Save the Date — Thursday 14th May

The Oxford Battery Metals Lectures 2026 will convene leaders from across the battery materials and critical minerals value chain. With a longstanding reputation for informed debate and independent analysis, the Lectures offer a trusted forum for the global battery metals community. This annual gathering provides a platform for miners, refiners, cathode and component manufacturers, end users, investors and policymakers to assess the strategic forces shaping battery metals markets, technology pathways and evolving geopolitical influences. It is a rare environment where producers, industrial customers, financiers, regulators and innovators can engage in open discussion supported by evidence, clarity and long-term perspective. Participants value the opportunity to step back from day-to-day pressures and consider the broader developments that shape investment decisions, supply chain resilience and future applications.

With commodity prices out of the doldrums, putting primary suppliers back into the profit zone and greenlighting projects and expansions, we are witnessing the beginnings of a New Battery Materials Cycle, this year's theme for the Oxford Battery Metals Lectures. At the other end of the supply chain, over 50 new EV models are set to be launched across the UK and Europe in 2026, including a raft of more affordable B-segment vehicles. This is despite a softening of the 100% EV deadlines by 2035. Add to this the significant uptick in battery storage demand and supply chain disruptions in the DRC and Indonesia, suggesting an incredibly difficult period for supply chain incumbents, end users, and investors to navigate. 

We invite participants from every stage of the value chain to join us in examining the pressures and opportunities that will define the next phase of the battery metals sector, contributing to a more coordinated and informed industry outlook. Your expertise and judgement remain vital to this dialogue. In addition to the main Lectures, the Annual Golf Day on 16 May offers further opportunity to strengthen relationships and continue discussions in a more informal setting. Together we can build a clearer view of what is possible, what is required and where collaboration can deliver meaningful progress.

Please reserve Thursday 14 May 2026 for the Oxford Battery Metals Lectures. The Oxford Platinum Lectures will take place the following day, offering participants the option to engage across both programmes. Further details will be provided in due course. We welcome expressions of interest in attending or supporting the Lectures and encourage you to contact the organising team so that we can keep you updated as the programme develops.