en.Wedoany.com Reported - Quebrada Blanca General Manager Mario Ortiz pointed out during Exponor 2026 that Chile faces economic opportunities thanks to its copper resources, with copper being a critical mineral for electrification and the global energy transition. He stated that Chile possesses mineral resources, experience, technical knowledge, and infrastructure, and the key lies in whether it can seize this opportunity. While presenting the development challenges and lessons learned at Quebrada Blanca, he proposed three core concepts for the future of mining: trust, consistency, and execution. Ortiz believes trust is the main competitive advantage for mining companies today, helping to build long-term relationships with communities, authorities, investors, and workers. Trust, however, must be accumulated over many years and can be lost in a short time, built on results rather than words.
He explained that sustainability should be viewed as a way of making decisions, not just an organizational function, and that lasting decisions must simultaneously consider operational continuity, personnel well-being, regional respect, and environmental protection. Quebrada Blanca has implemented measures in its operations such as exclusive use of desalinated water, renewable energy supply, remote operations centers, and autonomous trucks, which were conceived before becoming industry standards. Ortiz stated that the operation was designed to lead, not merely to comply. The project mobilized over 27,000 people during construction and faced significant logistical, regulatory, and health challenges.
Beyond technical challenges, Ortiz warned that future mining growth will be primarily constrained by talent availability. He noted that the industry often talks about copper shortages, but talent shortages are equally noteworthy. He emphasized the need to strengthen diversity and inclusion initiatives and create opportunities that can remain locally viable even after the project's lifecycle ends. Finally, he concluded that the future of mining depends on operational excellence and the ability to build trust among all participants in the ecosystem. He believes the copper resources are beneath our feet, but the industry's future is built on the trust that can be generated every day.
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