The mining industry as a whole has sometimes found itself behind the technology wave. Each mine brings it’s own unique situations and the company’s personnel associated with those mines may not have the best knowledge or experience for a particular problem. Enter “#DisruptMining 2018”, https://www.disruptmining.com
Launched last year, the #DisruptMining Challenge spurs collaboration between innovators industry-wide and encourages ideas that accelerate solutions to some of the biggest challenges in mining. Promoted through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, the event has become a quick success.
Todd White, Goldcorp’s Executive VP and COO says: “Goldcorp is one of the world’s largest and innovative gold mining companies, the industry has started to embrace the need for step-change innovation to provide raw materials that fuel our rapidly changing global economy”. White, who is also a board member of the Canadian Mining Innovation Council went on to state: “We must keep pushing boundaries and thinking differently. We are challenging every player in the mining industry and beyond to embrace innovation by adopting and integrating disruptive technologies into projects and operations here in Canada and around the world”
Any innovator interested in pitching their idea is required to submit and application, no longer than five pages, include a brief introduction to their idea and/or technology being pitched, as well as an explanation of its potential impact on the mining industry. A panel will select the semi-finalists who will be invited to exhibit their ideas at the Innovation Expo. From there three finalists will be invited to pitch at the DisruptMining live event , to a “Shark Tank” style panel of industry executives. The winner has the opportunity to negotiate up to a $1 million investment from Goldcorp for proof of concept at one of Goldcorp’s mines or direct investment in the winning technologies.
Among the categories for submission in this years contest are:
- Feed the long-term pipeline for metals
- Enhance productivity, efficiency and automation
- Improve safety
- Reduce environmental footprint
- Facilitate open and transparent markets
- “Go Rogue”
In 2017, the inaugural year for #DisruptMining, all five finalists walked away with deals, Cementation Canada and Kore Geosystems shared the top award from Goldcorp. All in all there were 153 submissions into the contest, of which 12 semi-finalists were selected to present at the #DisruptMining Expo. More than 1,000 mining executives, investors, technologists and financiers were in attendance at the live event.
Lessons for Others
Todd White commented “I hope that in a decade we look back on the 2017 #DisruptMining event as being a pivotal moment in this business, a moment that unleashed a fundamental transformation that becomes a catalyst for more innovation,” White adds: “It is important that we keep driving game-changing ideas and innovation to ensure the long term competitiveness of our industry.”
Organization:
Goldcorp
Industry:
Precious Metal Mining
Name of Organization Contact:
Todd White, Executive Vice President and COO Goldcorp
Authored by: J Pritchard
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