Exploring Innovations Program

Invested to Date – $217,646

IMII’s Exploring Innovations Program supports potentially transformative innovations, based in new science or new technologies, to meet the needs of the minerals industry.

These projects are a short-term engagement, suitable for an academic term or a maximum of six months for supply chains and other research entities.  Grants range from $2,500 (for an academic term) up to $25,000 (for an intensive, 6-month investigation).

The Exploring Innovations Program should be utilized to investigate a problem, build knowledge of the existing problem, and develop potential solutions. Key elements to a project could include:

• Identifying the problem
• Literature/technology review
• Development of theories/methodology or technology ideas
• Preliminary testing of theories/methodology/technology
• Results – this could be the elimination of a theory or a path for future research or technology development

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