Latitudes of Opportunity: Australia - Latin America Forum 2026
Description
Latitudes of Opportunity is a one-day forum to shape the future of Australia-Latin America engagement at a time of profound geopolitical change.
The forum will convene influential leaders from Australia and Latin America to unpack the emerging opportunities, confront shared challenges, set policy priorities and mobilise strategic actions to drive sustainable economic growth.
With the rise of the Global South and the energy transition imperative, Australia and Latin America share unique similarities that make our regions ripe for strong investment and collaboration. Both Australia and Latin America possess rich endowments in land, renewable energy inputs, agrifood, and minerals, as well as a shared First Nations heritage. These commonalities, combined with our historically solid trade and investment base, growing innovation linkages, technology cooperation, and robust education exchange, signal untapped potential and strategic opportunities that neither region can fully unlock alone.
Recognising the strategic importance of both regions to each other, this forum will act as a catalyst for collaboration, innovation, and future growth.
Why Attend
The forum will convene the organisations and leaders shaping Australia–Latin America engagement - bringing business leaders, global investors and government decision-makers together to forge connections, build partnerships and act on emerging opportunities.
Set the agenda: Shape trade, investment, and foreign policy priorities between Australia and Latin America.
Unlock trade & investment: Activate new bilateral and multilateral opportunities across energy, mining, agriculture, education, and other critical sectors.
Align policy and capital: bring government and business into closer alignment through focused dialogue and clear follow-through.
Demonstrate leadership: Position Australia and Latin America as partners in delivering solutions to shared global challenges.
Bring diverse voices to the table: Engage First Nations leaders, visiting dignitaries and high-growth entrepreneurs shaping the next phase of economic and social leadership.
Confirmed speakers include:
The Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP | Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Assistant Minister for Immigration, Member for Kingsford Smith | Australian Government
Leigh Harrison | Executive Director, Head of Real Assets | Macquarie Group Limited
Germán Morales | President Australia Pacific and Sustainability | Orica
H.E Dianela Pi | Ambassador of Uruguay to Australia and Dean of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Embassies
The Hon. Bill Shorten | VC University of Canberra.
Daniel Boyer | Deputy Chief Executive Officer | Austrade
Prof. Jessica Gallagher | Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International and External Engagement | Adelaide University
Richard Andrews | Chairman Emeritus | Australia-Latin America Business Council (ALABC)
Kim Prior | Chief Executive Officer | Australia-Latin America Business Council (ALABC)
Stuart Gale | Managing Director / CEO | Meteoric Resources
Thiago A. Deiro | Chief Executive Officer | Volgren Australia Pty Ltd
Professor Rick Valenta | Institute Director Sustainable Minerals Institute | University of Queensland
Mary Raynes | Senior Markets Manager – Barley and Pulses | Grains Australia
Ed Mason | Chief Executive Officer | Jet Zero
Chris Carman | Co-Founder and CEO | Workinitiatives
Kirsty Galloway McLean | Executive Director | Pollination Foundation
David Messina | Chief Executive Officer | Rumin8
Julien Gastaldi | Chief Executive Officer | Maki Planet Systems
Neil Salisbury | Executive Chair | NatureCo
Stephen Durkin | Chief Executive Officer | AusIMM
Thiago Gimenez Barbosa | Director | Syntropic Solutions
Confirmed moderators include:
Jennifer Hewett | National Affairs Columnist | The Australian Financial Review
Chris Gibbs Stewart | Deputy Chair | Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR)
Mara Bún | Chair, Investor, Advisor | Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR)
and many more to be announced soon
In a rapidly changing global trade and investment environment, the forum equips decision-makers with the insight, networks and strategic direction required to shape Australia–Latin America cooperation for the decades ahead, positioning it as a platform where future priorities are set, not simply discussed.
Attention
ALABC Members
To claim your discount rate, contact us at secretariat@alabc.com.au
Video
Agenda
- 8:00 am - 9:00 am
Registration & Morning Coffee
- 9:00 am - 9:30 am
Official Welcome
The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Melbourne Cr. Nicholas Reece will welcome the attendees to Melbourne. The session includes an Acknowledgement of Country, welcome from host organisation ALABC and event sponsor COALAR.
- 9:30 am - 9:45 am
Ministerial Address
The Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade on the global strategic context for the Australia-Latin America relationship and outline the growing importance of links with Latin America.
- 9:45 am - 10:05 am
Opening Keynote
Leigh Harrison, Global Head of Real Assets at Macquarie Asset Management with an overview of why infrastructure investment in the Latin American region, and the key industries attracting capital investment.
- 10:05 am - 10:20 am
The Humboldt Cable - a turning point for connectivity
A forward-looking perspective on the Humboldt Cable as a transformative digital infrastructure project directly linking Latin America and the Asia-Pacific, with implications for regional connectivity, data sovereignty, and trade enablement. Speaker: Andrés Contreras, Senior Digital Projects Engineer, Humboldt Cable Project.
- 10:20 am - 11:00 am
Why Australia–Latin America alignment matters now
AFR National Affairs columnist Jennifer Hewett will moderate a panel discussion on why greater alignment between Australia and Latin America is more important than ever. Panelists include: H.E Dianela Pi, Ambassador of Uruguay to Australia and Dean of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Embassies, Dr Paul Grimes, CEO, Austrade; Prof Jessica Gallagher, Deputy VC, Adelaide University; Carlyn Waters, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, AIATSIS; The Hon. Bill Shorten, VC University of Canberra. In a rapidly shifting geopolitical and economic landscape, Australia and Latin America share values, strategic interests and complementary strengths that position them for deeper cooperation. This session examines why alignment matters now and how government and industry can work together to shape future trade, investment and policy outcomes 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM
- 11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Unlocking critical and strategic minerals for mutual energy transition needs
German Morales, President of Australia Pacific and former President of Latin America, Orica, A concise forum session on unlocking critical minerals for the energy transition through Australia–Latin America collaboration. The discussion will show how Orica’s Blasting Solutions, Digital Solutions, Mining Chemicals, and safety innovations can accelerate joint projects—from exploration and procurement to decarbonisation and sustainable mineral supply chains in copper and other critical minerals.
- 12:00 pm - 12:20 pm
Australia-Latin America Rare Earths: The power of collaboration
Stuart Gale, CEO and MD of Meteoric Resources, will be interviewed by ALABC CEO Kim Prior. Insight into an Australian rare earths company and its flagship project in Brazil to produce ultra high-grade rare earths products in a low-cost, sustainable way.
- 12:20 pm - 1:00 pm
Creating supply chain resilience and leveraging our comparative advantage
Moderator Christine Gibbs Stewart, COALAR Acting Chair, will lead the panel discussion that includes Professor Rick Valenta, Director, The University of Queensland; Brian Bero, Principal, Jaramer Legal & First Nations Clean Energy Network, Committee Member Pilot Advisory Group, Gabriel Jaime, CEO Robla Energy among other key leaders As demand for clean energy accelerates, Australia and Latin America have a strategic opportunity to align their comparative strengths across critical and strategic minerals, energy policy and technology. This session brings together senior leaders from academia, industry, law and the public sector to explore how coordinated action can strengthen supply security, accelerate renewable deployment and support the global energy transition
- 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Launch and Networking
- 2:00 pm - 2:20 pm
The power of sustainable innovation & investment
Thiago Deiro, Chief Executive Officer, Volgren Marcopolo Australia on scaling sustainable innovation and the importance of cultivating strong bilateral trade and investment ties in a fast-changing world.
- 2:20 pm - 2:50 pm
Focus on Australia-Latin America agrifood innovation leadership
Panelists include: Mary Raynes, Markets Manager - Lead, Grains Australia, David Messina, Co Founder and CEO, Rumin8, Devinson Gil Sanchez - CEO Ation, Biochar, Bruce Rodgerson,Rubicon CEO Agriculture feeds the world yet it accounts for some of the most fragile supply chains, fastest growing emissions sources, and most pressing water challenges on the planet. As Australia and Latin America deepen their ties, a new wave of bilateral agri-innovation is quietly reshaping both regions. This open conversation style brings together senior leaders from agribusiness, climate technology and water management to explore how that innovation is already scaling across borders — and where the next opportunities lie.
- 2:50 pm - 3:00 pm
The power of technology to deliver a globalised workforce:
Chris Carman, Founder and CEO of Workinitiatives will unpack one of the more underutilised dimensions of the Australia–Latin America relationship: the movement of skilled people. Chris will show how technology enables streamlining of recruitment, upskilling of locals, and tackling shortages through data-driven collaboration.
- 3:00 pm - 3:10 pm
A decarbonised jet super highway
Ed Mason CEO of Jet Zero will deliver insights of how the company that was founded in North Queensland with increasing links to South America, has secured airline and industrybacking for its SAF production technologies that use regional feedstocks.
- 3:10 pm - 3:20 pm
High-Impact Opportunities
Featuring a high-level keynote unveiling the most significant market opportunities for Australian firms right now.
- 3:20 pm - 4:00 pm
Nature innovation that bridges Australia and Latin America
Mara Bún, COALAR board member will moderate a panel that includes: Neil Salisbury - Founder and Chair of NatureCo, Julien Gastaldi - CEO Maki Planet, Kirsty Galloway McLean, Executive Director Pollination Foundation, Thiago Barbosa - CEO Syntropic Solutions, Jocelyn King - Founder Djanaba Farm and Chair First Nations Capital. This session focuses on how emerging technology and new business models are driving sustainable solutions to nature restoration. We will explore emerging environmental markets and indigenous-led innovation and leverage comparative advantage in value chains that recognise nature dependencies and nature based solutions to climate change
- 4:00 pm - 4:20 pm
Closing Address
- 4:20 pm - 4:30 pm
Closing Remarks
- 4:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Cultural Activity
- 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Networking
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
