On the morning of September 2, Loreto Leyton, Executive Director of the Foundation, took part as a panelist in the International Congress Hyvolution Chile 2026, joining the panel "Geopolitics of the energy transition: security, power and new global balances." The discussion focused on Chile's role as a reliable energy partner, against the backdrop of a global landscape shaped by strategic competition among major powers and the growing centrality of energy supply.
The panel was moderated by Darren Ledermann, Energy Transition Manager at Wood, and brought together Fernando Ortiz, Head of the International Relations Office at the Ministry of Energy; Johan Dreyer, Founder and CEO of Hymatch; Francisco García, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Chile; and Eduardo Bitrán, who participated in his capacity as an academic at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez.
Loreto Leyton argued that, although Chile is a mid-sized economy, it holds real geopolitical leverage thanks to its wealth in critical minerals for the energy transition. At a time when global demand for these resources has surged, driven by the growing need for energy diversification and by geopolitical tensions, Chile re-emerges as a stable and reliable supplier. Along these lines, she highlighted the network of memoranda of understanding signed with various countries on critical minerals which, while non-binding, reflect the global interest in securing their supply.
She particularly welcomed the fact that the development of these resources is being approached as a state policy, stressing the importance of such a policy transcending political cycles. She recalled that the country carries a nearly two-decade lag in early-stage exploration, despite strong demand and high prices, and pointed to the recent announcement of incentives, namely the forthcoming introduction of tax benefits to boost greenfield exploration, as a key signal to attract investment.
Finally, she drew attention to two pending tasks that are also matters of state: advancing the agenda to address the so-called "permitting" burden (permisología) and establishing an investment screening mechanism, in order to attract capital safely, particularly in strategic sectors.
Our special thanks to FISA and to the organizers of Hyvolution Chile 2026 for the invitation to be part of this conversation.
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