March 31, 2025 – In an effort to advance knowledge of the subsoil and mineral deposits, improving both efficiency and sustainability in the mining industry, BHP’s open innovation platform, Think & Act Differently (TAD), is actively seeking solutions from innovators across Chile and Latin America.
The initiative, called “Orebody Knowledge Challenge,” is supported by Unearthed Solutions and ChileGlobal Ventures, the venture capital arm of Fundación Chile. The challenge aims to enhance the understanding of ore deposits by improving subsoil data collection, accelerating drilling processes, reducing the need for drilling, and integrating diverse data sources to strengthen decision-making with more precise and detailed information.
“We are launching this challenge as part of Think & Act Differently’s arrival in Chile and Latin America, and we see it as an exceptional opportunity to expand our innovation network and collaborate with new talent,” said Soledad Barbera, Head of Innovation Minerals Americas at BHP. “At TAD, we believe that innovation happens when we share challenges and explore new ideas. We think and act differently because diverse thinking is key to the industry’s future.”
Through this initiative, TAD will provide participants with various resources based on the maturity of their proposals, including funding for studies or experiments, access to mining and technology experts, collaboration networks with strategic partners, technical support for validating developments, and commercial mentoring to scale solutions within the mining industry.
Sebastián Acevedo, Manager of ChileGlobal Ventures, highlighted the significance of the challenge, stating: “These types of initiatives represent a great opportunity for the mining innovation ecosystem. They not only connect entrepreneurs with high-impact solutions sought by a global company but also drive the development of key technologies for a more efficient and sustainable mining sector, which is crucial for our country.”
The Orebody Knowledge Challenge is open to startups, research institutions, and technology companies from Chile and Latin America. Submissions will be accepted until May 6, 2025, providing innovators with a ten-week period to present their solutions via the challenge’s official website.
Additionally, the TAD Innovation Team will be present at Expomin, Latin America’s largest mining trade show, in April, where they will showcase this and other innovation challenges. “Our team will be on-site to connect with entrepreneurs and key players in the mining innovation ecosystem so that we can collectively shape the industry’s future,” Barbera concluded.