Photo: Daniel Martins
Innovation to develop the future of mining
At Vale, innovation means connecting technology, people, and purpose. We work to develop pioneering solutions that increase efficiency, reduce impacts, and strengthen an increasingly sustainable mining operation.
We don’t just adopt technology — we create it. From artificial intelligence to biotechnology, we are redefining how mineral resources are extracted and processed.
Photo: Jeferson Capela
Photo: Ricardo Teles
How Vale is building a better future
Inspired by our purpose of improving lives and transforming the future together, we work to make our operations increasingly reliable and generate shared value with society.
We use artificial intelligence and automation to make our operations safer and more efficient, reducing exposure to risk.
Sustainability guides our solutions and contributes to shared value creation. We also innovate to minimize environmental impacts, boost the circular economy, and strengthen ties with society.
Discover how innovation is present at Vale
We build the future of mining every day
We innovate to add value
We use artificial intelligence to anticipate failures, increase safety, and make our operations more sustainable and competitive every day.
We believe innovation is born from connection
We bring together the power of universities, research centers, companies, and startups with our hubs to solve real challenges.
We live innovation in our culture
We contribute to building the workforce of the future
Photo: Artur Arias Dutra
Vale invests in tomorrow through research, development, and innovation
At Vale, science, engineering, and technology converge at our Innovation and Technology Centers to develop solutions that increase the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of operations.
The Vale Technological Institute (ITV) is part of our research, development, and innovation structure, with units in Ouro Preto (MG) and Belém (PA), conducting research that drives the evolution of the mining chain and promotes socio-environmental development.
Beyond research, the ITV also works in talent development. Between 2011 and 2025, more than 632 students were trained to apply science and technology to real challenges in the mineral sector.
Photo: Daniel Martins/ 9D/ 9DStudio
Vale Innovation Hubs
Vale’s Innovation Hubs are physical and/or virtual environments focused on solving strategic business challenges. Through training, experimentation, and the scalability of initiatives, the hubs also develop the workforce of the future. Disabled Person’s Ticket (Decree 3,691 of 2000)
- People with disabilities who have a federal government disabled person’s card are eligible for free economy class travel, in accordance with Decree 3,691 of 2000.
Low-Income Youth Ticket (Decree 5,063)
- This is an economy class ticket governed by Decree 5,063 of 2016, for passengers aged between 15 and 29, who belong to a household with monthly income of up to two minimum salaries, are registered with the federal government’s Social Programs Registry (CadÚnico) and have a Youth ID Card issued by the federal government. Two free seats must be available for these people per train. If these seats have already been taken, eligible passengers can buy their ticket at a 50% discount.
If people report the wrong age, fail to present the documentation required by law or falsely claim to have special needs in an attempt to buy a ticket designed for disabled people, low-income youth or low-income senior citizens, they will not be allowed to board, their ticket will be cancelled and they will not be eligible for reimbursement, given that such conduct constitutes a crime, according to Article 299 of the Penal Code.
Today there are 15 Innovation Hubs operating across Brazil, supporting Vale’s operations in a franchise model, with units in Espírito Santo, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Pará, and Rio de Janeiro. They connect geographically distributed multidisciplinary teams and promote collaboration with external companies and partners seeking solutions to Vale’s challenges.
With agile tools and methodologies, the hubs drive end-to-end innovation.
Discover some of Vale’s innovative initiatives
Sustainable PET Dust Suppressor
MinAInteligente (Smart MinAI)
Conveyor Belt Tear Detector
The Conveyor Belt Tear Detector is a computer vision solution applied in Vale’s operations to detect tears in these equipment within three seconds and automatically trigger the equipment’s shutdown, preventing further damage. Integrated into operational systems, the technology increases operational reliability, reduces corrective maintenance costs, and replaces manual inspections in risk areas.
Briquette
Tailings Sand
Photo: Nilmar Lage
Open Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Vale
Through partnerships with universities, startups, research centers, and companies, Vale expands its capacity to learn, develop, transform, and generate shared value.
Our open innovation strategy connects real mining challenges with those who have the solution, accelerating the development of technologies that generate shared value for the business and for society.
We operate through a network of innovation hubs in Brazil and abroad, and periodically launch challenges to attract solutions in areas such as decarbonization, circular economy, and Industry 4.0, co-creating the future of mining.
Register your startup on Vale’s Startup Radar and increase your visibility in our search for innovative solutions.
Foto: José Palma
Vale Ventures
Vale Ventures is a corporate venture capital fund with US$100 million dedicated to investments in Series A and B startups.
The initiative supports solutions aligned with our corporate strategy, focusing on decarbonization, the future of mining, and sustainable solutions throughout the value chain, acting as a strategic catalyst for disruptive solutions to global challenges.
Learn about our investment thesis and portfolio.
Awards and Recognitions
Get to know some of the recognitions we have achieved:
ABESCO / COBEE
- The Brazilian Congress on Energy Efficiency (COBEE 2025): Award in the Research, Innovation, and Energy Transition category, with the project VESO – Vale Emission Systemic Optimizer.
Valor Innovation Brazil Award
- 1st Place – Mining, Metallurgy, and Steel Industry
- 12th Place – Overall Ranking
InovaPortos
- 3rd Place – Innovative Company Award
INOVAINFRA
- Sustainable Technologies Award in Pit Opening
Minérios & Minerales Magazine Excellence Award:
- 1st Place – Technological Innovation Project for optimizing the assembly and replacement of yard machinery
- 1st Place – Autonomous tire inspection using thermal camera and video analytics
- 1st Place – Improvement and energy efficiency at the Mariana Complex
- 1st Place – Enabling copper ore processing with talc through the use of blended stockpiles
CBMINA
- 1st Place – ITV (Vale Technological Institute) – Award for innovative mine pit depth monitoring project
WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)
- 2nd place in the Global Innovation Index ranking of the companies that invest the most in R&D&I in the country
ABM Award
- Green Steel Award – Sustainability 2025, with the project VESO – Vale Emission Systemic Optimizer.
Brasil Mineral Magazine
- Company of the Year in the Mineral Sector – Innovation & Technology Category
- Company of the Year in the Mineral Sector – Growth Category
Innovative Company Award
- 1st Place in the Innovative Company Award
Minérios & Minerales Magazine
- 1st Sustainable Mine Award with the Circular Mining Program – Waste to Value
- 1st Sustainable Mine Award with the project Reuse of iron ore tailings in the primary surfacing of rural roads
- 1st Sustainable Mine Award with the project Implementation of the drought-prevention plan at the Salobo mine
100 Open Startups Award
- Decade Champion in the Mining category
- 2nd Place in the Mining category
- Project of the Year Award
- PMO of the Year
- 3rd place in Agile Methods
- 5th place in the Mining and Metals award
- 25th position in the TOP 100 Open Corps award
- 2nd and 3rd place - Energy Efficiency Category
- 1st place - Outstanding Mining Company
- 7th place in the Mining segment
- 1st place in the Mining segment
- 7th place overall
- 1st place in Technological Innovation
- 1st place in Growth
- 1st place in Connections with Startups and Outstanding Ambassador
- LAC Innovation Tournament 2024 (National and LATAM)
- 1st place with AI project to automate decisions
- 1st place in the Mining, Metallurgy and Steelmaking sector for the fifth consecutive year
- 1st place: Online Theory
- 3rd place: LLK Features and Misalignments Detector
1st place overall
Frequently Asked Questions
Vale invests in research, development, and innovation, applying solutions with artificial intelligence, automation, and digitalization to solve real challenges in its operations and business.
For Vale, innovating means making mining increasingly safer, more efficient, and sustainable, with initiatives in circular mining, decarbonization, and new business models for the future of mining. By combining technology and collaboration to solve real challenges, Vale has been recognized in dozens of national awards — including ABESCO, IBRAM, and the Valor Inovação Award — for its profile as an innovative company. It also works in a network with startups, universities, and other partners.
Vale’s Innovation strategy seeks to transform mining to make it safer, more efficient, and sustainable every day. To this end, it works with intelligent operations that use technology and data to improve decisions and reduce risks; minimally invasive mines that seek operations with less impact and greater harmony with communities; and Zero Tailings, Waste, and Carbon, which involves making better use of materials and reducing emissions.
In addition, innovation also strengthens value sharing, creating real benefits for the regions where the company operates, and prepares the workforce of the future by supporting the development of new skills and professions. Innovation thus leads Vale to anticipate challenges, care for the environment, improve processes, and contribute to a more sustainable future for all.
Vale has a dedicated area to define the strategy, governance, and management of the innovation portfolio, ensuring corporate alignment. However, execution is decentralized: innovation happens day to day, across all areas, by diverse people.
To support this, the company works to democratize innovation and develop talent through initiatives such as Tech4All, which offers accessible tools and training for any employee to create solutions safely. Vale also has a technology prospecting area that works through a network of research centers and global agents, connecting internal areas to international ecosystems.
Vale develops solutions to reduce environmental and social impacts across its entire production chain. These solutions increase the efficiency and safety of operations, with initiatives in circular mining, low-carbon solutions, digitalization, automation, and artificial intelligence.
Technologies can be created both internally by employees and by research centers and innovation hubs, or through partnerships with universities, startups, and companies. The work also includes managing minimally invasive mines, with more precise extraction, efficient use of resources, reduced waste generation, and responsible coexistence with the environment and society.
Circular Mining at Vale is defined as the practice of maximizing the use of natural resources, seeking to prevent waste generation and reuse materials of mineral origin, both ferrous and non-ferrous, such as waste rock and tailings, while generating value and reducing socio-environmental impacts.
At Vale, circularity in mining is a fundamental pillar for the innovation and sustainability strategy. The initiative is materialized through the Waste to Value Circular Mining Program, which operates by harnessing waste from the iron ore production process — including waste rock and tailings — from exploration through to material disposal, seeking their maximum utilization. Vale has the ambition to achieve zero waste rock and tailings, reusing all waste generated in its primary activity and contributing to a smaller environmental footprint in its operations. For more information about the program, visit: https://vale.com/pt/esg/mineracao-circular
Yes. Vale continually adapts to changes in the market, society, and the regulatory environment, investing in innovation, technology, training, and research and development. By integrating innovation, technology, and sustainability into its business strategy, it positions itself as one of the most innovative companies in the country.
The company reviews processes, develops new solutions, invests in research and digitalization, and works in partnership with different actors, bodies, and institutions to respond to challenges such as the energy transition, safety, operational efficiency, and impact reduction, keeping its operations aligned with current and future demands.
To start a partnership with Vale, entrepreneurs should register their solutions on Vale’s Startup Radar, increasing the visibility of their technologies to our business areas.
Vale has a robust connection with the external Innovation ecosystem, which includes partnerships with innovation hubs, companies, universities, and research centers, as well as participating in various events with lectures and business rounds.
The Vale Technological Institute (ITV) is Vale’s cutting-edge research center, dedicated to developing scientific solutions for sustainability and mining. With units in Belém (PA) and Ouro Preto (MG), the institute combines graduate education and applied research in a modern educational network dedicated to training professionals capable of transforming mining. It is a world reference in Amazonian biodiversity genomics and in the development of technologies for cleaner operations.
The innovation hubs are vehicles that operate at the core of Vale’s businesses. They provide a physical and/or virtual environment for talent development, capturing critical and chronic business problems related to Vale’s priorities, for prototype testing and solution scaling, promoting a new way of working.
They focus on the problem through teams, training, and the E2E method, developing an important collaboration ecosystem between Vale’s areas and open innovation partners, providing a safe environment for testing and strengthening the culture of innovation at Vale.
Yes. Vale has Vale Ventures, a corporate venture capital fund of US$100 million that invests in Series A and B startups with solutions aligned with the corporate strategy, with an emphasis on decarbonization, the future of mining, and sustainable solutions throughout the value chain. For more information, access the initiative page.
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