Connecting small and medium-sized companies with the mining market is the main objective of “Despega tu PYME”, a contest promoted by academics from prestigious universities such as Harvard and Yale, with the support of FISA, organizer of Expomin 2025, and Corporación Alta Ley. This initiative seeks to offer SMEs that supply products and services to the mining sector the possibility of participating in the next version of the fair, which will be held from April 22 to 25, 2025 in Santiago, Chile.

At the event, the selected companies will have a 2-square-meter stand to exhibit their products and services. The competition covers 60% of the cost of the space, reducing the final cost to approximately $360,000 for the winning companies.

Initiative with international support

The organizing team, led by Professor Federico Huneeus of Duke University, was enthusiastic about the initial response. “We are very pleased with the interest this initiative has received in the entrepreneurial world of the mining industry. This reveals the needs that SMEs in the industry have in terms of connecting with relevant buyers,” commented Huneeus.

Antiza Vladilo, leader of Supplier Development at Corporación Alta Ley, said that “we have identified that there is a lot of room for progress in the development of mining suppliers. This initiative comes to support the needs that exist in the mining SME world. We believe it will be very successful.