Arnoldus M. van den Hurk, 63, is a leader in transforming the mining and energy industry towards sustainable and low-carbon practices. He currently focuses his efforts on the intersection of artificial intelligence and mineral sustainability.

He received his PhD in 1989 in Geology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the University of Tübingen (Germany). In 1992, he completed his MBA at IEDE (Madrid – Shanghai). After 20 years of experience in the oil, mining, solar PV, CSP, wind, and industrial innovation market, he founded in 2012 the consultancy R4mining. In these 12 years, he has helped decarbonize mines on five continents by installing renewable energy and ESG. He is currently focused on the field of Critical Minerals for Energy Transition.

He has alternated his business and academic career as a visiting professor and researcher at the Solar Energy Institute of Anhui University (Shanghai), the EMBA of IEDE and Tongji University (Shanghai), and current professor of the Master of the UPC (Barcelona) of Energy Transition or as a professor of the Master of Renewable Energy in Mining at the ESAN business school in Peru. In 2022, collaborated with the Repsol UB Chair in Energy Transition and Critical Minerals.

As a lecturer and panelist, he has spoken in Spain, Canada, Australia, Peru, Chile, Germany, Colombia, Netherlands, Antilles, South Africa, the UK, China, and Kazakhstan. In Spain, he has been a panelist in Critical Minerals for the Repsol Foundation, Comillas University, the Naturgy Foundation, and the Mining and Metals Hall (Seville).