Dr Liming Lu is currently a Senior Principal Scientist leading CSIRO R&D in iron ore agglomeration and high temperature behaviour of iron ore agglomerates in blast furnace and other alternative ironmaking processes. Liming received his PhD degree from the University of New South Wales in 2001 and has more than 30 years’ R&D experience in the characterisation, processing and evaluation of iron ores, metallurgical coals and light metals. Liming is the editor of 2015 and 2021 editions of the Elsevier Iron ore book and published more than 160 papers. Liming is also an international technical expert of ISO Technical Committee TC102/SC3 – Physical Testing of iron ore, and the recipient of 2020 CSIRO Mineral Resources Life Achievement Award, 2019 Sawamura Award from the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan (ISIJ) and 2003 Josef S Kapitan Award from American Iron and Steel Society (AIST).

With a master's degree in extractive metallurgy, chemical engineering, the University of Melbourne. The invention of Dynamic Free Lance for industrial-scale steelmaking processes. Interested in ironmaking - steelmaking of deS and BOF, and research in H2-based process and EAF-smelter for low-grade iron ores.

Ben started his research career at the National University of Singapore and obtained his Ph.D. of chemical and process engineering from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Afterwards, he undertook a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, and led an industrial product R&D project in China. He returned to New Zealand with independent postdoc funding from the MacDiarmid Institute and worked at Massey University. He then worked as a research scientist at the New Zealand Institute for Minerals to Materials Research, until his current appointment at the Victoria University of Wellington. Work interests spans the creation of green materials and their applications in the environmental and energy industries. Ben’s research includes membrane separation technology, porous materials, e.g., zeolite and carbon materials, and hydrogen production and applications for green metallurgy.

Chris has a Ph.D. in ferrous metallurgical thermodynamics and is a Fellow of the AusIMM. He has over 30 years of experience in the metallurgical industry, including direct reduction ironmaking, consulting, and iron ore project development. At New Zealand Steel, in his ironmaking technology group role he developed a techno-economic model of the direct reduction ironmaking process. Thereafter, in his production role as Principal Process Technologist, he made key changes to process and production control procedures, leading to increasing pig iron production by 9½ % and achieving budget tonnes for the first time in several years of operation. In his metallurgical consulting roles, he has been involved in conducting many feasibility studies, plant design, and fundamental R&D. He is the inventor of a patented smelting process to produce high-purity synthetic rutile crystals from ilmenite and titanomagnetite. In iron ore project development, he was GM Development, responsible for beneficiation test work, mining, and process design, leading to the development of Fiji’s first iron ore mine. He also conducted technical marketing of the iron ore in China to Chinese steel mills. Chris has a passionate interest in green ironmaking, especially in the development of hematite pellets for DRI.

Themba Chisahwira, is a male adult aged 37, born in Shamva, Zimbabwe, and resides in Bindura, Mashonaland Central Province. He is a final year student at the University of Zimbabwe studying for a Master of Science degree in Advanced Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Technology from the Midlands State University and a National Diploma in Metallurgical Assaying from the Harare Polytechnic. Mr. Chisahwira is employed by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, as a Metallurgist from the year 2014 to date. His duties include registration of custom milling licenses, elution licenses, plant commissioning, educating and advising small-scale miners on safe methods of operation, fire assaying, and mineral dressing among others. Zimbabwe is full of vast minerals and as such, Mr. Chisahwira has a passion for the Metallurgical field, particularly, Pyrometallurgy. Mineral deposits continue to be discovered in Zimbabwe, necessitating the development of more efficient and environmentally sound mineral extraction and beneficiation methods. Mr. Chisahwira is motivated by this need and aspired to make a positive impact on the mineral processing industry in Zimbabwe.

PhD candidate working at Robinsons Research Institute on a novel electrically heated zero CO2 reactor design to reduce NZ ironsands.