Robert works with and develops IP strategies for a wide variety of organisations focused on chemical, process and mechanical engineering and the applied chemistry fields, particularly the building and resources industries, clean and efficient energy technologies, steel, water and waste treatment, packaging and closure systems and agricultural technologies.

Ray Shaw has spent over 40 year’s managing R&D in Mineral Processing, Pyrometallurgy and Hydrometallurgy through his 30 years with Rio Tinto and subsequently as a private consultant. This has included developing and commercialising copper technology at BHAS Port Pirie and his current work on commercialising new zinc oxide technology and developing the MTM copper Process. He is a past Chairman of AMIRA, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and of the AusIMM and has been a board member/director of numerous R&D Institutions.

Denis Shiers is a Team Leader within the Processing Program of CSIRO Mineral Resources, responsible for leading multiple industry sponsored projects that support the mining and emerging battery industry. He has expertise in the hydrometallurgical processing of ores and concentrates, with a particular focus on fundamental and industrial investigations of low-grade copper sulfide ore processing. He also has experience in solvent extraction, geochemical modelling, pilot scale operations, having worked with copper, nickel, zinc and uranium commodities.

Dr. Shishin coordinates the development of large self-consistent thermodynamic database for non-ferrous pyrometallurgical applications. He also leads professional education activities with companies-sponsors of Pyrometallurgy Innovation Laboratory (PYROSEARCH). The research methodology relies on close integration of literature data analysis, high-temperature equilibration experimental work conducted in-house by the PYROSEARCH team, and CALPHAD-style thermodynamic modelling of sub-systems of the targeted large chemical system. The chemical system of interest has been continuously expanded since Dr. Shishin joined the group: Cu-Fe-O-S-Si-(2014)-Ca-Al-Mg-(2015)-Pb-Zn-As-Sb-Bi-Sn-Ag-Au-(2017)-Cr-(2019)-Ni-Co-(2020)-Na-(2023). Dr. Shishin earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Chemistry from the Moscow State University, and PhD in Metallurgical Engineering from Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada. During the PhD studies he collaborated with the creators of FactSage software.