The Mining Hub was officially opened in Belo Horizonte in January this year.

The platform, supported by the Brazilian Mining Association (IBRAM), investment company Neo Ventures and WeWork Labs, was created to drive innovation in areas such as safety, water management, alternative energy sources, operational efficiency, waste management, and social development.

It brings together 24 mining companies, including Vale, Anglo American and ArcelorMittal, and technology suppliers such as Metso, thyssenkrupp and Haver & Boecker, as well as start-ups. The different stakeholders from across the mining supply chain are aiming to work together to develop solutions to the shared challenges of the Brazilian mining industry.

Inmarsat, which recently launched a real-time monitoring solution for tailings dams, said it will work with the Mining Hub "to help drive the move towards a standardised and transparent approach to tailings dam management".

Inmarsat's solution is designed to leverage connectivity technologies to give mining companies visibility over the safety and integrity of their dams.

"The mining sector is undergoing a period of rapid change which presents a range of opportunities, but also some formidable challenges," Joe Carr, director of mining innovation at Inmarsat, said.  

"To overcome these challenges and drive innovation, the industry needs to work collaboratively to develop solutions. The Mining Hub is a great example of this collaboration in action, and demonstrates what can be achieved when different stakeholders within the mining supply chain work together."