South32 and IGO are the latest companies to become members of the Think & Act Differently (TAD) incubator initiative, joining OZ Minerals, Boliden and Rio Tinto.
The initiative is a collaborative effort to unlock new and innovative technologies to help the mining industry reduce risks while developing the resources the world needs for the energy transition. The collaboration aims to foster advancements that promote sustainability and responsibility in mining practices.
Under the umbrella of the Think & Act Differently (TAD) incubator initiative, the companies will fund and support innovators who are working to reimagine mining and processing to eliminate, minimise, reuse, or find value in overlooked resources that have been regarded as waste.
The five companies will also collaborate on other selected innovations to pursue improved productivity while delivering benefits such as lower greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.
Think & Act Differently Head, Katie Hulmes, said, “We are thrilled to welcome South32 and IGO to this collaboration initiative to think differently about innovation and drive meaningful change in the mining industry. Having more companies involved will enable us to support a broader group of innovators by providing them with more opportunities. I am excited to see what we can accomplish together.”
The collaboration will support innovators by providing materials, funding, technical guidance and the potential for field trials at mine operations. To facilitate the acceleration and commercialisation of technologies, innovators will retain ownership of their intellectual property rights, with a licence to use those rights granted to the companies that support them.
South32 General Manager Innovation and Technology Development, Flavia Xavier, said, “We’re thrilled to collaborate with our industry peers on co-development of technologies that support innovation in the mining sector. Our diverse portfolio of operations and commodities presents many opportunities for technology development, and we believe that by working together, we can greatly accelerate progress on complex industry challenges.”
IGO Head of Technical Services, Chris Carr, said, “IGO is pleased to be involved in this industry-led partnership and is looking forward to the opportunity to work collaboratively with others in the mining industry to discover new technologies required for the global energy transition.
“This initiative presents a fantastic opportunity to accelerate projects which will have a big impact in moving the mining industry towards a more sustainable future.
The Think & Act Differently program is building an ecosystem of partners to explore and accelerate themes that prioritise social and environmental responsibility for the development of the modern mine. Central to its success is the active participation of a network of people from across multiple industries, organisations, community groups, governments, research organisations and others who want to play a role in solving complex challenges.
