en.Wedoany.com Reported - Antofagasta is further consolidating its position as a mining innovation hub through its startups. Two companies invested by Aster, an accelerator driven by Escondida | BHP—AGS Soluciones and VIZUtire—are leveraging advanced technologies such as drones, data intelligence, and predictive detection of critical assets to address specific operational challenges in the industry.
AGS Soluciones has launched the SmartFields platform, which integrates drones, aerial photogrammetry, 3D modeling, and digital analysis technologies to monitor key mining assets. This solution enables early identification of substandard conditions and operational risks, geolocates detected issues, assigns corrective actions, and ensures traceable tracking until resolution. The goal is to strengthen preventive management based on objective information and reduce personnel exposure in critical areas. Christian Cubelli, Commercial Manager and Co-founder of AGS Soluciones, stated that they developed technological solutions directly targeting real mining challenges in Antofagasta, aiming to transform drone inspections into a concrete tool to enhance on-site safety, detect risks in a timely manner, and provide clear information to support better decision-making before problems arise.
Another startup, VIZUtire, is transforming the management of OTR tires in large mining equipment through a platform that combines advanced physical-mathematical modeling, operational data-based structural monitoring, and patented ultrasonic non-destructive testing. This solution understands the actual structural behavior of each tire during operations, identifies conditions accelerating degradation, and predicts risk scenarios before they evolve into failures. Marcelo Olivares Godoy, Co-founder and Operations Director of VIZUtire, noted that OTR tires are critical assets for mining operational continuity. They no longer view tires merely as components requiring inspection, but as strategic sources of information revealing structural risks and adverse operational conditions, enabling them to predict potential failures and support decisions that directly impact safety, productivity, and sustainability.
Both companies are part of the Aster accelerator portfolio, a project aimed at strengthening mining technology entrepreneurship in Antofagasta. Macarena López, Executive Director of Aster, believes the growth of these companies demonstrates the region's technological potential. Antofagasta not only leads global mining but is also consolidating its position as a center for technological innovation in the industry. She noted that startups like AGS Soluciones and VIZUtire reflect how the region is generating complex solutions capable of transforming mining operations, with global competitiveness.
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