The event was attended by selected dignitaries, in accordance with social distancing protocols, including Alireza Bakhtiari, the CEO and owner of the media group; Saeed Zarandi, deputy industries minister; Vajihollah Jafari, managing director of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization; and Ardeshir Sa'd-Mohammadi, managing director of National Iranian Copper Industries Company, while a majority of participants followed the event online through the website of Donya-e-Eqtesad Events Center.
A wide range of topics and areas related to non-ferrous industries are being discussed in the two-day online event, including boosting production, achieving sustainable development, modernizing extractions, addressing the problems of small- and medium-sized mines, localizing and making use of domestic capacities, boosting the share of non-ferrous industries in the country's gross domestic product, trends in international markets, corporate social responsibilities and the impacts of coronavirus pandemic on the non-ferrous market.
Non-ferrous metals, such as copper, aluminum, lead, zinc and gold, have remained relatively underrated despite their wide usage and high value-added products. Balancing production, exports and domestic consumption is one of the main challenges facing non-ferrous industries.
"Donya-e Eqtesad, as a specialized and independent media group, believes that no progress will be made without taking the national interest into consideration. Therefore, we have focused our efforts on supporting the economy to achieve development, which is not without obstacles," Alireza Bakhtiari said in his address at the event’s inauguration.
Stressing that the country needs to focus on developing domestic capacities, Bakhtiari said the ongoing challenges facing the economy, mostly because of US sanctions against Iran and the outbreak of Covid-19, have added to the urgency of the need for indigenization.
“More than 50 firms, associations and specialized organizations, along with 1,500 experts and senior managers in non-ferrous industries, are attending the conference, along with foreign experts from European and Asian countries,” he announced.
Saeed Zarandi, deputy industries minister, stressed the need for developing infrastructures to increase the share of mineral and non-ferrous industries in the economy.
"The sector has made considerable progress during sanctions … However, the development of infrastructures and adoption of new approaches are necessary for replacing petroleum with other minerals," he said.