METStech Passport first of its kind between Australia and Chile

The METStech Passport is the first of its kind between Australia and Chile, sending Australian scale-ups to Chile – and corresponding Chilean scale-ups to Australia – for a two-week immersion in the country’s mining innovation ecosystem.

METS Ignited CEO Ric Gros said the METStech Passport is a ticket to new opportunities in the LATAM region for Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies.

The successful applicants are Conveyor Products and Solutions (CPS) and Minnovare from Perth and Matrix Materials in Newcastle. The companies will fly to Chile in October for meetings and site visits with mining companies, government, industry and universities in the region.

“Congratulations to CPS, Minnovare and Matrix Materials on their success. These organisations have developed innovative solutions for challenges in the mining sector,” Gros said.

“The METS Tech Passport will provide CPS, Matrix Materials and Minnovare with an opportunity to showcase their technology and innovation directly to the Chilean mining industry. Access to this mining heavyweight will enable Australian METS companies – already seen as global leaders in Chile on price, technology and productivity – a pathway for market expansion and collaboration.”

As the world's largest global copper producer, Chile is a key growth area for Australian METS companies.

The international exchange programme is a joint initiative between METS Ignited, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), and Fundacion Chile's Open Innovation programme, Expande.

Austrade Senior Trade Commissioner for LATAM Shannon Powell also congratulated the Australian companies on their success.

“METSTech Passport has enabled us to connect two global mining powerhouses with similar challenges, in the mining technology space.

Congratulations to the winners, the programme is a great opportunity for exposure to a potent export market for Australian METS companies,” Powell said.

Executive Director of EXPANDE Enrique Molina said collaboration was key for strengthening the sector.

"Collaboration and a systemic view among the different actors of the mining industry at an international level are decisive for the development of a much more productive and competitive sector."

METStech Passport Project Leader Patricio Pastorelli said the exchange programme was a positive initiative for the sector.

“Expande has seen a great potential for synergy between both METS ecosystem and the Passport programme aims to ignite a relationship based on collaboration that actively contribute to the development of a global mining innovation hub between Australia and Chile.”

The companies will finish the programme at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne on Thursday 1 November 2018.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/29082018/metstech-passport-first-of-its-kind-between-australia-and-chile/