Fernando Araúz de Robles takes the baton as MMH Chair| The 6th edition of this biennial event will be held from 20th to 22nd October 2026 | Ricardo Lain and Priscila Moreno receive awards in recognition of their careers
Seville, 17th October 2024.- The 5th edition of Mining and Minerals Hall, MMH 2024, which closed today at the Palace of Congresses and Exhibitions of Seville (Fibes), has led to an estimated economic impact of 7.16 million euros in the city, 32.6% more than the 5.4 million of the previous edition. This has been announced by the curator of MMH 2024, Enrique Delgado, who added that the event has received more than 14,658 visits in its three-day duration, 46.6% more than in 2022.
The meeting, organised by the Association of Research, Extraction, Mining-Metallurgical, Auxiliary and Service Companies (AMINER, by its initials in Spanish) and Fibes, and which has already become an international benchmark for the mining industry, has had 257 exhibitors (50% more than the previous edition) and 6,432 square metres of exhibition space (44% more). In this edition, 1,300 congress participants were registered (30% more), and 4,626 business contacts were made, in addition to project presentations and meetings between companies and entities.
As for the Scientific Congress, held in parallel to share the latest developments in a sector that is committed to research, technological innovation and sustainability, consisted of seven round tables, more than 60 conferences and 15 presentations at the Innovation Hub. A total of 141 top national and international speakers took part, 22,6% more than in 2022.
“These are excellent figures that reflect the good moment our mining industry is going through, as well as the commitment of companies, organisations and institutions to share and show society the best of the sector”, Enrique Delgado said.
The Minister of Industry, Energy and Mines of the Junta de Andalucía, Jorge Paradela, who gave the closing speech of the event, pointed out that “few fairs can say that in a single edition they have grown by 50%”, and added that “not only the figures, but the sensations, demonstrate the success of this edition of the MMH”.
“We must unite in the common goal of defending the role of mining in the 21st century, underpinned by the pillars of environmental commitment, positive social impact, the non-negotiable safety of workers, and innovation”, he said. “We have to defend that it occupies the place it deserves, betting on public-private collaboration public-private in this strategic sector for energy autonomy, which represents a huge opportunity for Andalusia, because mining is where it all begins”, concluded the Minister.
The new curator will be Fernando Araúz de Robles
During the closing ceremony, Enrique Delgado passed the baton as MMH curator to his successor, Fernando Araúz de Robles, Director of Permitting and Development of Mining Projects at Atalaya Mining. A senior mining engineer and recognised leading figure in the sector, he has worked in several companies in the field of metallic mining, ornamental rocks and aggregates, and has been general secretary of Industry, Energy and Mines of the Junta de Andalucía.
He will be in charge of organising from now on the MMH 2026, which, as announced this afternoon, will be held from the 20th to the 22nd of October 2026.
The new curator has assumed the appointment “with responsibility” and with the aim of consolidating the MMH as the reference congress of mining, after the substantial change it has undergone in its fifth edition.
Recognition of Enrique Delgado and MMH 2024 awards
The moment of the relay has included recognition of Enrique Delgado for his effort and enthusiasm during the preparation of the MMH 2024. The executive manager of Aminer and general secretary of the MMH, Marta Cerati, and the manager of Fibes, Antonio Castaño, have given him a souvenir figure. The tribute has included a biographical note in which his long and diverse professional career has been remembered, as well as his involvement in the representation of Andalusian mining as vice president of Aminer.
In addition, during the closing ceremony, the MMH 2024 awards, which distinguish the trajectory of people of recognised relevance in the field of mining, were presented. In this edition, the mining engineer, professor Ricardo Lain, and the former manager of Aminer, Priscila Moreno, were awarded.
In his appreciation words, Ricardo Lain, who started working on oil rigs until he discovered his early vocation for mining, was proud that this professional interest had been inherited by his two daughters and emphasised that together with mining, to which he has dedicated his life, teaching has been the second of his professional passions. He also emphasised his satisfaction at receiving the award from Luis Vega, president of Aminer, with whom he has a close relationship.
For her part, Priscila Moreno (who is the daughter of Francisco Moreno, founder of Aminer and one of the driving forces behind the Mining and Minerals Hall, of which he was Honorary President) has been a director of the mining sector for three decades and has received recognition for her defence of the role of sustainable mining. After receiving the awards from the hands of the Minister of Industry, Energy and Mines, Moreno was very grateful for the affection of the sector and expressed her pride in the mining companies, “with whom I share this award and the honour of having been at your service, representing a sector as strategic as metallic mining, through an exemplary association such as Aminer, whose principles include promoting the unity of the sector, sharing knowledge and seeking continuous improvement”, as she concluded.
About MMH
The 5th edition of the International Mining exhibition was held in Fibes from the 15th to the 17th of October 2024. It is a biennial exhibition that brings together news, projects and technological advances in the sector, as well as a parallel Scientific Congress on research and dissemination in the field of mineral raw materials. This year’s edition also included an Innovation Hub and an outreach area dedicated to students and families.
At a momentous time for the mining industry, following the entry into force this year of the EU’s Basic Raw Materials Act, the MMH 2024 has focused on raising awareness of the importance of minerals in everyday life and their essential role in carrying out energy and digital transitions, which Europe is committed to within the objectives of the Green Pact and against climate change. The sector is going through a crucial moment due to the new regulatory policies, which seek to encourage production and transformation in Europe to reduce our dependence on third countries when it comes to supplying us with these fundamental raw materials, which cannot be obtained except through mining activities.
