IM August 2025 | Page 42

MINING CONSULTANTS

clients’ capabilities across the value chain.

The Chile-headquartered engineering and consultancy firm is often asked by clients to contribute in areas like highend data analytics, technical-economic evaluation and risk analysis, where a client’ s in-house expertise or bandwidth might be limited, according to Juan Ignacio Guzmán, CEO of GEM.

“ This support is feasible across most disciplines because our practice areas cover a broad spectrum of the mining business, from technical modelling to economic forecasting,” he told IM.“ Our approach is to complement( not replace) the client’ s own teams – providing targeted expert insight where it is needed most, and in doing so help pave the way for innovative solutions in their projects.”

Guzmán says the company pairs a strategy of building and nurturing talent – through a strong recruitment and education investment process – with a focused remit on combining deep mining expertise with sophisticated analytical capabilities to differentiate itself in this crowded market.

“ This means we bring a unique capability to quantify even what seems to be unquantifiable – translating complex factors( be it environmental impact, social risk, or market volatility) into clear, quantitative insights for our clients,” he said.“ While many new ESG-oriented consultancies might approach mining purely from a sustainability perspective, we differentiate ourselves by treating ESG as a value-driving framework rather than a standalone goal. In practice, that means we embed ESG considerations into the core of our mining models and decision processes, instead of just overlaying them as an afterthought.”

In terms of specialties, GEM is renowned for its quantitative approach to problem solving in areas like uncertainty modelling and strategic planning, Guzmán says, with clients often looking to GEM for high-level project evaluations, scenario analysis and risk management strategies.

And Guzmán is confident the company is setup to prosper in what looks like being a digitally-connected, automated and environmentally-focused industry in the future.

He gave an example:“ On the fleet and energy side, our Analytics practice is devoted to integrating complex datasets with AI and machine learning to drive automation and efficiency. We are already helping clients deploy intelligent systems such as autonomous haulage and dispatch, using predictive algorithms to optimise equipment use and maintenance.”

GEM also analyses electrification strategies – for instance, modelling the technical-economic-environmental impacts of replacing diesel trucks with electric vehicles or incorporating renewable energy

sources into a mine’ s power mix – as well as leverages in-house simulation tools to model processing plants when evaluating alternatives to the SABC status quo. Guzmán said of the latter:“ Our simulations do not just provide a static result; they capture the interactions between processes and equipment, helping identify potential bottlenecks, risks and opportunities in new designs. In fact, we are already advising clients on several next-generation flowsheets.”

GEOVIA consulting on connectivity

Ralph Smith, GEOVIA Sales Expert – Management Director, says consultants are not just plugging gaps for mining companies; they’ re also helping transform how knowledge is captured, shared and applied across the mining value chain.

Dassault Systèmes GEOVIA is doing this through not just software, but also by enabling knowledge transfer, operational continuity and strategic decision making, he says.

Asked to highlight specific areas of heightened demand for its consultingrelated services, Smith looked to areas such as mine planning, geological modelling and data management.

“ Companies are turning to us to automate repetitive processes, standardise best practices and provide virtual twins that enhance collaboration between disciplines,”

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