Sofía Hernández and Marianella Díaz met in 2019 as undergraduates in the Road Engineering program at the University of San Juan. Reuniting over a shared passion for environmental innovation, they collaborated on their master’s thesis in 2023, offering a solution to monitor dust emissions on unpaved roads, a commonimpact management issue in the mining sector.
Sofía Hernández and Marianella Díaz met in 2019 as undergraduates in the Road Engineering program at the University of San Juan. Reuniting over a shared passion for environmental innovation, they collaborated on their master’s thesis in 2023, offering a solution to monitor dust emissions on unpaved roads, a common impact management issue in the mining sector. Drawing on their experience and knowledge of their home province, the close friends led one of the teams selected for the Green Engineering Program. A partnership between Lundin Mining’s Josemaria project and the National University of San Juan, the Program provided capacity building and seed funding to develop creative ideas related to environmental sustainability and circular economy into minimum viable products while assessing their market opportunities.
As Sofía explains, “The greatest learning we gained from participating in the Green Engineering Program was, first and foremost, viewing the project as a potential business. During the thesis work, this aspect seemed very distant, but with Green Engineering, we realized that it can be turned into reality, commercialized, and potentially attract customers.”
+ 5 supported initiatives
+ 40% were women-led
+ 15 participants
+ 33% were women
+ 62 hours of training
The Green Engineering Program offers a dynamic space for participants to experiment, test, and implement ideas focused on water conservation, circular economy, energy efficiency, and innovation—all aimed at creating positive social impact in the region. In 2023, the program supported five initiatives, 40% of which were led by women. The 15 participants each received 62 hours of intensive training to enhance their technical skills, strengthen their business, and prepare their sustainable solutions for market entry. Marianella and Sofía shared: “We felt incredibly supported by a fantastic group of people and appreciate the chance to share experiences with fellow contestants, allowing us to dive deeper into various aspects of applied engineering and their connection to business.”
Their team was one of the groups led by women. “The Program consistently provided a supportive environment for women. In a mining work setting that can sometimes be challenging, this initiative felt like it truly opened doors,” they shared, highlighting the impact of this empowering environment.”
The Lundin Foundation, together with our partners, is pleased to support the start of a journey for these young teams as they bring their ideas to San Juan and the world. Ronaldo Pringles, a teacher and researcher at the National University of San Juan, affirmed, “It’s a win-win situation. The environment wins, society wins, and most importantly, the individuals who benefited from this project also won by developing their knowledge, resources, and, above all, the experience that empowers them to achieve their goals and enhance their prospects.”
