Maria Uribe

Asociación de Industriales de Antofagasta

The Antofagasta Industrial Association was born as a public entity on 4th October 1944. On that day 32 persons met together with a common objective, to work strenously and tenaciously to create the foundations necessary to achieve industrial development in the region. Thus, was born the Antofagasta Industrial Association, which in it's early days adopted the acronym, "ASINDA" which was later changed to the currently used A.I.A.. This idea was conceived during the visit of the Industrialist Federico Marull Santa María to the Orchard Factory and Workshops, where he met with other Antofagasta businessmen involved in manufacturing activities. Current Objectives: A strategic development based on a Mining Cluster Model was adopted by the Antofagasta Industrialists, and proposed as a development strategy for the Region (ERD) in 1994. In synthesis, this strategy focuses on taking the maximum advantage possible of all the benefits associated with the mining industry, with special emphasis on improving the links between the productive and service sectors. The first stage in the strategy's objectives, is to strengthen all productive activities which are related to the mining sector, and in later more advances stages to open up new avenues of industrial activity, which will generate more wealth, and sustainable development in the region.