1999 - Pilot implementation in mining engineering programmes at Latin American universities, preferably in partnership with active mining operations in the region, is the recommended next step, with systematic feedback mechanisms between academia and industry for continuous curriculum adjustment to evolving operational needs. In full alignment with the central theme of WMC 2026, Trust, Transformation and Technology, innovative education in rock blasting does not represent an investment in a distant future: it is an operational, strategic and competitive necessity of the immediate present. Trust is built on measurable, transparent results; Transformation demands professionals capable of thinking through the entire system; and Technology only generates value when operated by engineers with systemic vision and integrated training. Innovative education in blasting is, at once, the starting point and the catalyst for all three dimensions. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are grateful to the Graduate Programme in Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (PPGE3M) of UFRGS, to the Mineral Research and Mining Planning Laboratory (LPM/DEMIN), and to the Department of Mining Engineering (DEMIN/UFRGS) for the institutional, scientific and logistical support indispensable to carrying out this research. Special acknowledgement is due to CAPES for its support of graduate training and scientific research in Brazil; to the JKMRC (Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre, University of Queensland, Australia), long-standing partner of LPM/UFRGS and a world reference in Mine-to-Mill research; and to the Coalition for Eco-Efficient Comminution (CEEC) for its fundamental scientific contribution to quantifying energy consumption in mineral comminution. REFERENCES [1] Ahmed, U. (2024). Latin America's Mining Boom: Opportunities and Obstacles. AZoMining. https://www.azomining.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=1826 [2] IEA. (2024). Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2024. International Energy Agency, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/ied-2024-en [3] Skrzypczyk, A. (2024). Why Latin America's mining industry is embracing renewables. Energy Transition. https://energytransition.org/2024/03/ [4] Gabaldón, I. & Florian, P. (2024). Decarbonizing Latin America's mining industry. Hatch. https://www.hatch.com/About-Us/Publications/Blogs/2024/04/Decarbonizing-Latin-Americas-miningindustry [5] Zhang, Z., Sanchidrián, J.A., Ouchterlony, F. & Luukkanen, S. (2022). Reduction of Fragment Size from Mining to Mineral Processing: A Review. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 55, 3913–3947. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-022-03068-3 [6] McKee, D. et al. (1995). Mine to Mill – A New Approach to Optimizing the Value Chain. Proceedings JKMRC Annual Workshop, Brisbane. [7] Purhamadani, E. & Bagherpour, R. (2024). The role of different explosives in reducing energy and emissions in mining comminution for sustainable improvement. Energy, 310, 133233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.133233 [8] CEEC – Coalition for Eco-Efficient Comminution. (2021). Mining Energy Consumption 2021. https://www.ceecthefuture.org [9] Workman, L. & Eloranta, J. (2003). The effects of blasting on crushing and grinding efficiency and energy consumption. Proceedings of the 29th Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique, pp. 131–140. Nashville, TN: ISEE. [10] Azofeifa, J.D., Rueda-Castro, V., Camacho-Zuñiga, C., Chans, G.M., Membrillo-Hernández, J. & Caratozzolo, P. (2024). Future skills for Industry 4.0 integration and innovative learning for continuing engineering education. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1412018. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1412018
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