Vale has 45 AI solutions in production — and a plan for 10% of its ore to come from what is now waste

The miner's first R&D&I report reveals the real scale of its innovation investment: more than 350 active projects and $685 million deployed in a single year.

Vale published its first Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I) report, consolidating for the first time in a single document the real size of its technology investment: $685 million deployed in 2025, a portfolio of more than 350 active projects, and 16 innovation hubs spread across operations.

The most revealing number isn't the total investment, but the number of AI solutions already in production — more than 45, ranging from SabIA, which retrieves internal technical information, to VESO, a simulator that cross-references production, cost and emissions data in real time. This shows the company has moved from the isolated-pilot phase to a managed portfolio, with an AI solution plugged into nearly every link of the chain. The second striking figure is circular mining: 26.3 million tonnes produced in 2025 came from sources previously treated as tailings or waste rock — 8% of total production, with a goal of reaching 10% by 2030 through more than 100 initiatives. The Capanema mine, in Ouro Preto, already brings all three fronts together at once: 100% autonomous operation, water-free processing, and no tailings dam.

For anyone working in innovation inside a mining company, the report is a useful counterpoint to the narrative that mining technology is still a promise. Vale has already transformed about 300 operating roles to work alongside autonomous equipment and has committed R$38.4 million in research grants tied to universities — a sign that innovation investment is stopping being an isolated R&D cost center and becoming a structural part of how the company operates and recruits technical talent.