Competitiveness and attractiveness in leading gold mining companies in Peru: a multicriteria assessment of strategic positioning and inter-firm heterogeneity

Cotrina-Teatino M.A.; Marquina-Araujo J.J.; Alvarez-Tandaypan P.J.; Murga-Peña C.J. · Mineral Economics (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/s13563-026-00709-9

Resumen

Gold mining in Peru faces the challenge of operating in highly volatile environments, under strong social, regulatory, and technological pressures that affect its economic performance. This study develops and applies a transparent methodological framework to evaluate both the external attractiveness of the operating environment and the internal competitive strength of the country’s main gold mining operations. The methodology combines public rubrics (scale 1–5), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)-informed hierarchical weightings, normalized scaling (0–100), and strategic positioning through the GE–McKinsey matrix. The results reveal clear differentiation among companies: in terms of competitiveness, Shahuindo leads with an index of 82.0, followed by Minera Yanacocha (79.4), MARSA (78.3), and Boroo Misquichilca (77.8), while Consorcio Minero Horizonte shows the lowest value (69.5). Regarding attractiveness, Yanacocha ranks first (67.2), followed by Poderosa (61.4), with the remaining companies falling within the lower attractiveness range, with scores between 53.2 and 57.7. Sensitivity analysis, based on ± 20% variations in the weightings, showed controlled fluctuations in the indices (1.0 to 1.5 points), supporting the internal robustness of the approach within the analyzed sample. Production factors exert the greatest influence on competitiveness, while market, economic, and technological dimensions dominate attractiveness, with social aspects acting as transversal constraints. Overall, the proposed framework provides a structured decision-support approach for strategic analysis, investment assessment, and policy discussion in the formal gold mining sector. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Trujillo