Developing Innovations Program
Invested to Date – $3,252,763
IMII’s Developing Innovations Program supports research seeking innovative solutions to mineral industry needs.
Grants up to $250,000 are available for a two-year project with an emphasis on those supporting or validating ‘new-to-mining’ technologies.
The Program can be the next step to:
- further investigate the outcomes of an Exploring Innovations project,
- research an industry defined problem discovered through industry collaboration or a call for proposals, or
- apply new methodology on previous research.
The goal is to develop innovative technologies, processes or applications that can be validated in a laboratory, tested in a simulated environment, or a model or prototype is developed. Proof of concept demonstration is desired at the end of the project. Industry will want to see if:
- Technical merits have been sufficiently explored
- Advantages of the technology are consistent with initial expectations
- Commercialization potential has been identified and assessed
- Issues or problems have a path to resolution
Key elements to a project could include:
- A research design that seeks to solve a specific problem or provide innovative solutions to issues affecting the minerals industry
- Draw upon basic research results, literature searches, field research and discussion with industry experts
- A relevant laboratory or simulated environment
- Technical analysis that evaluates current technology options and limitations, and assessment of possible innovative approaches
- Screening, testing, and prioritizing of theories/methodologies/concepts
- Results – research report that demonstrates the initial feasibility of the technology developed
Projects are supported by IMII member’s industry experts and the IMII team.
Areas of interest are:
- Analytics solutions
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Digitization and automation
- ESG – environmental, social, and governance
- Extraction and processing
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- Modernizing core technologies
- Rock mass and geology technologies
- Sustainability
- Tailings management
- Workplace health and safety systems
