With the global move toward electrification and net-zero infrastructure, innovation in the mineral exploration and mining industry has never been more crucial.
Creative Destruction Lab – Vancouver, based at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, is launching a Minerals stream for founders seeking to commercialize technologies enabling the supply of industrial and metallic minerals critical to society’s future.
The CDL-Vancouver Minerals stream is calling for ventures aiming to enhance performance, safety, and sustainability in the industry. This stream focuses on innovations that span the lifecycle of a mineral project, including ore body discovery and definition; mineral extraction and processing; and sustainability and post-mining activities, including water stewardship, waste to value, and tailings management.
CDL has seen several ventures in these spaces participate in previous cycles of the CDL program, generating impact in the mineral exploration and mining industry, including pH7 Technologies, Mangrove Lithium, Destiny Copper, and Ideon Technologies, a spin-out from TRIUMF Innovations, Summit Nanotech, and GeologicAI, indicating the bigger opportunity to support the venture ecosystem across the global CDL network.
“The Minerals stream reflects the increased focus on technology and innovation in mineral exploration and mining, with a view to unlocking efficiency and sustainability gains,” says Bree Stanlake, director of CDL-Vancouver.
“Given the emerging opportunities in areas such as autonomous mining solutions, as well as digital innovation applied to this industry, we are thrilled to be at the forefront in driving these new technologies forward.”
Mentors for CDL Minerals join with experience in mineral exploration, mining, and venture building, such as CDL Fellow Haig Farris and CDL Associate and Sustaining Partner Peter Bradshaw (Founder of BRIMM), will support founders with objectives-based mentorship — and their deep industry expertise.
British Columbia is a national and global hub for the industry. In addition to the province’s long history of mineral exploration and mining, B.C. is home to recently launched innovation initiatives including the Mining Microbiome Analytics Platform (MMAP), a digital supercluster project with $16.6 million in funding to support the development of technology that will improve environmental practices across the mining lifecycle.
UBC is home to the Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining (BRIMM), a multidisciplinary education and research organization working to solve the most pressing challenges in the mining industry.
To kick off the launch of the Minerals stream, CDL-Vancouver will host an Innovation in Mining & Minerals Conference on October 25, 2023, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. If you are interested in attending, sponsoring, or being a media partner at this event, please register here to join the mailing list for updates.
Ventures interested in applying to the Minerals stream can apply here. Ventures, or those interested in partnering with the stream, can contact minerals@creativedestructionlab.com for more information. Venture applications will be accepted online until July 28th, 2023.
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