TY - JOUR

T1 - Innovation in the Mining Industry: Technological Trends and a Case Study of the Challenges of Disruptive Innovation

AU - Sanchez, Felipe

AU - Hartlieb, Philipp

PY - 2020/7/23

Y1 - 2020/7/23

N2 - Innovation plays a critical role in the mining industry as a tool to improve the efficiency of its processes, to reduce costs, but also to meet the increasing social and environmental concerns among communities and authorities. Technological progress has also been crucial to allow the exploitation of new deposits in more complex scenarios: lower ore grades, extreme weather conditions, deeper deposits, harder rock mass, and high-stress environments. This paper discusses the importance of innovation for the mining industry and describes the mechanisms by which it is carried out. It includes a review of the drivers and actors involved and current trends. The digital transformation process that the industry is going through is analyzed, along with other relevant trends that are likely to shape the mining of the future. Additionally, a case study is presented to illustrate the technical and economic implications of developing a disruptive innovation project.

AB - Innovation plays a critical role in the mining industry as a tool to improve the efficiency of its processes, to reduce costs, but also to meet the increasing social and environmental concerns among communities and authorities. Technological progress has also been crucial to allow the exploitation of new deposits in more complex scenarios: lower ore grades, extreme weather conditions, deeper deposits, harder rock mass, and high-stress environments. This paper discusses the importance of innovation for the mining industry and describes the mechanisms by which it is carried out. It includes a review of the drivers and actors involved and current trends. The digital transformation process that the industry is going through is analyzed, along with other relevant trends that are likely to shape the mining of the future. Additionally, a case study is presented to illustrate the technical and economic implications of developing a disruptive innovation project.

KW - Digital transformation

KW - Industry 4.0

KW - Mining innovation

KW - Mining technology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088483387&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s42461-020-00262-1

DO - 10.1007/s42461-020-00262-1

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85088483387

VL - 37.2020

SP - 1385

EP - 1399

JO - Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration

JF - Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration

SN - 2524-3462

IS - 5

ER -