Chile, the world’s copper powerhouse, stands at a crossroads. We can continue deepening a traditional extractive model, or we can take a bold leap into a future of regenerative, intelligent, and human-centered mining. Image generated by AI using DALL·E, concept by Fernando Yévenes (OpenAI, 2025). What if infrastructure could think? What if it could sense, adapt, and care for the land and the people it touches? This is not a sci-fi thought experiment, it’s a very real vision that emerges when we connect ideas from three seemingly distant worlds: the autopoiesis philosophy of Chilean biologist Humberto Maturana, advanced digital technologies like AI and digital twins, and a new generation of ethical, resilient, and sustainable structural engineering. What is “Living Mining”? Autopoiesis, a concept developed by Maturana and Varela, describes living systems as those that maintain their identity by continuously interacting and adapting to their environment. What if we saw processing plants,...
Chile is the world’s copper powerhouse, home to the largest known reserves of this essential metal. Yet, much of our copper still leaves the country as concentrate, with limited local value added. In today’s context, marked by rising copper prices, the clean energy transition, and increasing environmental and social expectations, Chile faces a timely opportunity: How do we evolve from being just a supplier of raw material to a leader in copper transformation and sustainability? What Can We Learn from the World? Let’s take a look at how different countries have tackled this challenge: China didn’t let a lack of resources stop it. By building massive refining capacity, it became the heart of the global copper supply chain. Zambia took a smart route by embracing efficient technologies like ISASMELT, allowing it to boost local refining and add value at home. In Canada, the Horne Smelter is showing how recycling and clean practices can go hand in hand in modern copper processing. Bulgaria’s...