Mining Uses Smart Exploration to Improve ROI
By Diego Valverde | Journalist & Industry Analyst -
Thu, 09/03/2026 - 16:47
This week, technology policy and investment moved closer to the center of economic strategy. Mexico advanced discussions around social media regulation and renewed Jalisco’s technology framework, while South Korea proposed a record US$596.9 billion budget aimed at AI and strategic technologies. At the corporate level, the proposed privatization of Axtel underscored continued activity around Mexico’s telecommunications infrastructure.
Ready? This is your Week in Tech!
Why Should Mexico Have to Regulate Social Media?
Mexico is moving from debate to policy design on the use of social media by children and adolescents, with the federal government preparing a proposal for Congress while international courts and governments increasingly scrutinize how digital platforms are designed.
The issue is no longer limited to the content users encounter online. Regulators and courts in several jurisdictions are examining algorithms, infinite scrolling, notifications, recommendation systems, age verification, and other product features that can influence how long minors remain on platforms.
South Korea Proposes US$597 Billion Budget to Accelerate AI
South Korea has unveiled its most aggressive fiscal spending plan to date, proposing a 2027 budget of US$596.9 billion as the country seeks to reinforce its position in AI, semiconductors, and other strategic technologies. The proposal represents a 12.8% increase from 2026, marking the largest year-on-year rise in government expenditure on record. The spending plan reflects a broader shift in economic policy under President Lee Jae-myung, whose administration has moved toward expansionary fiscal policy after three years of austerity under the previous government.
Jalisco Renews Tech Hub Act, Expands Industry Modernization
Jalisco is renewing the public policy framework behind its technology ecosystem with a new version of the Tech Hub Act, seeking to give industry a more direct role in shaping the state's innovation and high-technology agenda. The renewal was announced during the International High Technology Congress (CIAT), organized by the Western Regional Chapter of the National Chamber of the Electronics, Telecommunications, and Information Technology Industry (CANIETI).
4 Tech Plus Files Bid to Take Axtel Private at 39% Premium
Businessman Tomás Milmo, through his investment vehicle 4 Tech Plus, filed documentation with Mexico's National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) to launch concurrent tender offers for the outstanding shares of Axtel and Controladora Axtel that he and his shareholder group do not already control. The offers set prices of MX$3.86 per Axtel CPO and MX$1.22 per Controladora Axtel share, representing premiums of 39.1% and 38.2%, respectively, over the 30-day volume-weighted average trading price of each security.
Smart Exploration: Translating Tech, Data and Geophysics Into ROI
For decades, exploration technology in Mexico occupied a marginal space between corporate curiosity and secondary cost center. That dynamic has shifted as Mexican mining companies integrate machine learning, airborne geophysics, and digital target modeling into core capital allocation strategy. The transition marks a fundamental re-evaluation of return on investment across exploration programs. Operators now evaluate technological tools based on direct operational metrics, specifically whether a platform reduces cost per meter drilled or compresses time to maiden resource definition.







