With strong in-person and remote participation, the first 2026 CEDENNA Seminar was held: “Rare earths: from the laboratory to the market”, given by Dr. Walter Cañón, CEDENNA researcher and academic at Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins.
The activity took place in the Auditorium of the Research Centers Building of the Universidad de Santiago de Chile and brought together researchers, students, professionals and representatives of external institutions interested in learning about the strategic role that rare earths play in global technological and energy development.
The session was opened by Dr. Pedro Chaná, director of the CEDENNA USACH Center Program and researcher at the Center, who highlighted the value of this seminar series as a permanent space to bring scientific research closer to the community, foster the exchange of knowledge and promote interdisciplinary dialogue. He also invited attendees to continue taking part in the upcoming talks, to be held during the last week of each month.
During his presentation, Dr. Walter Cañón explained what rare earths are, why these elements are indispensable for manufacturing technologies such as mobile phones, electric vehicles, wind turbines and solar panels, and how the growth of the energy transition has steadily increased global demand for these materials.
He also discussed China’s leadership in global production and the opportunities that exist for Chile, both from mineral deposits and from the use of tailings and other secondary sources of these elements.
The session was moderated by Dr. Patricia Díaz, CEDENNA researcher, who led a lively dialogue with the audience during the final round of questions.
The CEDENNA Seminar Series will continue on Wednesday, July 29, at 4:00 p.m., again in the Auditorium of the Research Centers Building of the Universidad de Santiago de Chile. On that occasion, Dr. Eduardo Bringa, researcher at CONICET and the Universidad de Mendoza, will give the talk “Atomistic simulations of ion irradiation, from eV to GeV”, a presentation that will be given in Spanish and will address applications of computer simulation in materials science and nanotechnology.
Registration for the next seminar will be announced soon through CEDENNA’s official channels.
