MAXAM is celebrating the 25th edition of its Santa Barbara Innovation Awards, a pioneering initiative in the industry aimed at the company’s more than 6,500 employees.

Through these awards the technology company, which specialises in energetic materials, seeks to promote a culture of innovation at all levels of the organisation, MAXAM said.

According to Miguel Ángel Flórez, Chief Technology Officer of the company, these awards have inspired some of the company’s most innovative work.

“MAXAM’s professionals in the field face complicated and extremely differing environments such as a mine in Siberia in -40°C, underwater blasting machines in Panama, or projects in sub-Saharan Africa in over 40° of heat,” he said.

“It is they who can quickly detect any new challenge to improve the security and efficiency of operations. Thanks to them, to the nonconformist, innovative spirit of our teams, some significant technological advances have emerged from Santa Barbara that respond to the specific needs of our customers.”

In the last 10 years alone, the awards have spawned innovative developments aimed at increasing the efficiency, precision and security of blasting solutions for mining and civil engineering.

For example, the success of the Panama Canal extension project, completed by MAXAM in 2015, saw technologies such as the RIOBLAST design and simulation software and the on-site assembled explosive product via trucks play key roles; both developed from their presentation at the Santa Barbara Innovation Awards by employees of the company.

Other significant developments made from winning ideas for the company have been the BER system for the real-time visual inspection of boreholes and the RIOSENSOR device, which contribute to clear security, efficiency and productivity improvements in the mining projects.

The awards are open to any employee, who has the opportunity to identify and propose new ideas and solutions that generate a differential value for the company and its customers.