SMI Chile Executive Director Dr. Mary Valdés took part as a panellist at ProyectMin 2026, a conference that brought together representatives from mining companies, government, industry associations, suppliers and organisations linked to the sector to discuss mining investment prospects through to 2030.
Organised by Revista Minería Chilena and B2B Media Group SpA, the conference opened with a keynote address by Chile’s Undersecretary of Mining, Álvaro González Gorroño. The programme featured a series of panel discussions examining the factors driving or constraining the delivery of mining projects, the industry’s capacity to meet the demands of large-scale developments, and the latest innovations and opportunities for suppliers and contractors in areas such as infrastructure, automation, water management and sustainability.
As a panellist in the session “2026–2030 Outlook: Risks and Opportunities of the New Mining Supercycle”, Mary Valdés highlighted the role of applied research and technology transfer in addressing the current challenges facing Chile’s mining sector.
Moderated by journalist Bárbara Briceño, the panel also featured Nassam E. Estibill Zalaquett, Consulting Director, Metals and Mining Division at Wood Mackenzie; Cristina Pardo de Vera Posada, Vice-President of ACADES; Isabella Boese Cortés, Technical Advisor at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ); and Juan José Ronsecco, President of CORPROA Atacama.
During her presentation, Mary Valdés emphasised that the growing global demand for critical minerals places Chile and other producing countries in a strategic position to attract investment.
“To seize this opportunity, knowledge is a key factor in addressing challenges such as ageing ore bodies, declining ore grades and delays in bringing new projects into operation. These challenges require applied knowledge, innovative solutions and technological development,” she said.
She also noted that challenges such as climate change are demonstrating the scale of what the industry faces and why it is essential to anticipate future risks.
“Australia recognised this reality many years ago and has built an ecosystem in which universities, industry and suppliers work together to develop technological solutions,” she said. “That is precisely the rationale behind the creation of The University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute: to provide a collaborative environment for developing technologies that support sustainable mineral production.”
Mary Valdés also stressed that sustainability has become a critical enabler for the successful development of new mining projects.
“We will not compete on cost, but on our ability to provide certainty and stability. That depends to a large extent on the legitimacy of projects and on how companies engage with the communities and regions in which they operate,” she concluded.
