Shaping the future of responsible mining

Eramet launched in June 2021 the third edition of its Open Innovation Challenge on Responsible Mining, jointly organised by Eramet Ideas, its research and innovation subsidiary, and EIT RawMaterials. The call has attracted more than 120 start-ups and SMEs worldwide. After a pre-selection of 20 out of 62 applications submitted, the jury of Eramet and EIT RawMaterials experts shortlisted ten innovative start-ups paving the way towards responsible mining. The selected solutions addressed five key challenges for the sector: large scale exploration, water and waste management, safety at mine sites, mine rehabilitation and biodiversity monitoring and traceability of raw materials.

The Open Innovation Challenge is a great opportunity for us to grow our network of partners and to collaborate with innovative start-ups and SMEs. This initiative shows us that innovation can be a major contributor to responsible mining.

Marion Lenoir, Head of Open Innovation at Eramet Ideas and Member of the EIT RawMaterials Board

On 9 November, the TOP 10 teams were invited to an Online Pitching Event in front of a panel of experts. The quality of the projects presented during this Open Innovation Day was impressive, and the pitches were inspiring from all participants. Eramet experts discussed in individual “speed-dating” sessions ideas of collaborations for concrete operational applications at Eramet.

Discover the finalists

We are thrilled to announce the finalists of the Eramet Responsible Mining Challenge 2021:

• Bind-X develops and produces biological binders for industrial applications, such as the customised solution to control dust in the raw materials industry.
• MORFO created a complete solution of ecological reforestation and monitoring of Mine sites combining the use of drones, capsules and machine learning algorithms.
• Guaranteed creates value by producing, repairing & refurbishing large metal parts using Wired Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). This allows lifetime extension or downtime reduction of industrial equipment.

The finalists will receive tailored advice and coaching from an Eramet mentor team before presenting their pitch to Eramet’s Executive Management and Directors. Finalists will be competing for a chance to win up to EUR 50 000 to implement the proposed solution at Eramet with potential extension to a long-term collaboration. Additionally, the winning team will receive support to validate their solution, as well as global visibility. The winner will be announced at the Eramet Innovation Seminar on 10 January 2022!

Congratulations to the three finalists, that will continue the innovation journey and good luck!