The Antofagasta Industrial Association (AIA), the exhibition’s organiser, announced the 50 small and medium-sized enterprises from different regions of the country that were selected to participate in EXPONOR 2026 through the #EstaremosEnExponorprogramme, an initiative aimed at strengthening the development of national suppliers and facilitating their integration into the mining-energy-industrial ecosystem.
In its third edition, the programme has established itself as a concrete support platform for SMEs, providing them with preferential conditions to access this year's most important exhibition. The initiative will allow them to showcase their products and services, build strategic business networks and align their operations with the main challenges, trends and opportunities facing the industry.
EXPONOR’s manager, Andrea Moreno, highlighted the strong interest generated by this call, emphasising that there were a significant number of applications from all over the country. "The selection of these 50 enterprises reflects the dynamism, innovation and potential of Chilean SMEs to contribute to the development of mining and energy. In addition, the large number of applicants demonstrates the value that companies place on being part of EXPONOR," she said.
Selection process
A multidisciplinary panel prepared the list of 50 selected participants. The panel members were Maricho Gálvez, CORFO Entrepreneurship Manager; Hernán Araneda, General Manager of Fundación Chile; Germán Novoa, General Manager of the Corporación Cluster Minero of the Antofagasta Region; Macarena López, Executive Director of ASTER; Melissa Gajardo, Executive Director of the CORFO Antofagasta Committee.
The companies were selected after a rigorous application and technical evaluation process carried out by a committee of specialists in the sector, which considered criteria such as value proposition, innovation level, scalability and potential for engagement with the industry.
In this context, Hernán Araneda, General Manager of Fundación Chile, said that "as a committee, we pay special attention to the potential of the proposals to integrate into the mining-energy sector's value chain and their ability to generate impact by solving market needs. It is also important that they have the potential for scalability and have a clear business model.".
The evaluation panel highlighted the importance of this initiative as a gateway to the industrial market. In this regard, Germán Novoa, General Manager of the Corporación Clúster Minero of the Antofagasta Region, said that"#EstaremosenExponor is a strategic platform for SMEs to overcome the constraints associated with their scale of operations, to strengthen their connection to the mining-industrial ecosystem and to access national and international networks, consolidating their commercial projection at the sector's leading international showcase this year.".
The selected SMEs represent a wide diversity of solutions oriented towards mining and energy, covering areas such as technological services, innovation, safety, operational efficiency and sustainability. For many of them, this will be the first time they participate in an international exhibition, which will provide new business opportunities, production chains and commercial projection.
Unique opportunity in the global mining epicentre
EXPONOR 2026 will be held from June 8 to 11, 2026 at the AIA EXPONOR grounds in Antofagasta. The exhibition expects about 1,200 exhibitors from 30 countries and visits by around 45,000 professionals and executives linked to mining, energy and industry.
With this initiative, the event reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the national business fabric and generating concrete opportunities for Chilean small and medium-sized enterprises to increase their participation in industries that are key to the development of the country.
