The commitment to sustainability, gender equality, co-creation of shared value and sustainability were the central themes that marked SQM's participation in Exponor, an event where the company reaffirmed its leadership and commitment to female inclusion in its operations and innovation with the recognition of initiatives in the More Lithium, Less Footprint Call.
This was the analysis of SQM's Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs, José Miguel Berguño, who highlighted: “As a company, it is attractive to be part of this new version of Exponor and to participate in this event that helps to share with representatives of the public and private sectors, generating development and growth actions, not only for the industry, but also, in direct benefit to the community.”
In this vein, the company contributed to the program with the seminars “Green Mining and Value Chain” and “Investment Projects and Challenges.” Furthermore, it participated in the business matchmaking sessions, led by the Procurement and Purchasing department, as well as the Networking After Office event, along with a scheduled visit to the Carmen Chemical Plant, where the attending delegations were able to observe part of the lithium production process firsthand.
In addition, the company offered an entertaining experience with E-Kart, in partnership with former national Formula 1 driver Eliseo Salazar, in a space where fair visitors learned about the benefits of electromobility, enjoying the adrenaline and speed in the same fairgrounds.
Other highlights included the first Talento Mujer job placement event, a strategic alliance between SQM and RedEG, a consulting firm specializing in diversity and inclusion issues. During this Exponor, the event brought together hundreds of women, including heads of household, high school, technical and university students, who participated in guided tours to learn about job opportunities in the energy and mining industries.
INNOVATION AND SHARED VALUE
In its aspiration to move towards carbon neutrality, the company held the awards ceremony for the second call for "More Lithium, Less Footprint", an activity aimed at all R&D centers, universities, SMEs, startups, among others, to encourage the innovative ecosystem to present solutions with social and environmental impact, around the use of lithium.
In this second call for proposals, a total of 37 submissions were received, from which nine finalists were selected. From these, the three winners of this year were chosen: Remote Water, which won first place; Endurance, which took second place; and Lithium, which came in third.
In line with its sustainability plan, the social entrepreneurship initiatives promoted by the company showcased its projects and business ideas to the business world, which they made known to the public, such as Mr. Barber's environmental and recycling actions; the Ayllú high-altitude wine with Atacameño identity; the collaborative space for entrepreneurship at El Puerto Cowork; Palletland's sustainable solutions and the beautiful garments made with ancestral techniques by Casa Telar.
Carolina Elgueta, director of the Sustainable Tourism Foundation and Mister Barber, stated: “Being at Exponor today has been a very positive experience because we have been able to contact various public and private entities and invite them to work on our initiatives such as recycling, environmental education, water conservation centers, and tourism, among others.”
Thus, the company concluded its participation in this business event with a positive outcome thanks to the large turnout of delegations from the Talento Mujer initiative; a strong presence in the Networking After Office, which allowed it to reach 250 exhibitors and potential suppliers interested in maintaining a business relationship with SQM on the various processes and needs of the mining-energy industry, among other activities.