A forum with around 200 participants in Santiago was the culmination of a business journey for German companies, initiated by the 29. June to 3. July led to Chile.
The topic of the forum was Process Optimization in Mining: Machines, Conveyor Technology and Automation. The German participants had the opportunity to exchange views with representatives of Chilean and international mining and engineering companies as well as representatives and institutions.
Dirk Berg, Deputy Head of the Latin America Department of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) emphasized in his presentation that German industry can provide answers to the current Chilean challenges in mining. "We can offer you our experience in the areas of automation, electronics, transport and I + D".
Iván Cerda, Technical Director of the National Mining Association SONAMI, identified as a challenge the industry is currently facing, reducing productivity, increasing costs and decreasing mineral concentrations. Above all, he sees a need for process optimization in water and energy consumption for his industry.
The business trip for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) was carried out on behalf of the BMWi as part of the market development program for SMEs by the AHK Chile and the consulting company enviacon international.
2013 has signed the German-Chilean Co-operation Agreement for Mining and other economic, scientific and technological cooperation projects have been initiated. For German companies, 2015's projected Chilean economic growth rate of 3,3% (GTAI) also points to promising business opportunities in the target market.
The business development was accompanied by the Competence Center Mining and Raw Materials of the AHK Chile. In addition, the trip was supported by the Fachvereinigung Auslandsbergbau und internationale Rohstoffe (FAB) and the Lateinamerika Verein (LAV) eV.
