Mining Lab 2, sponsored by Brazil’s Nexa Resources, focuses on innovation in automation, IoT, logistics, circular economy, and mineral processing
The sign-up deadline for Mining Lab 2, the start-up competition sponsored by Brazil’s Nexa Resources, is approaching fast, and the company is calling on innovators in the fields of automation, IoT, logistics, circular economy, and mineral processing to submit their applications by March 18th.
Applications for the $2.4 million equity-free prize, which supports technological innovation in the mining and metals industry, can be submitted at mininglab.nexaresources.com.
“Mining Lab is a collaborative way of thinking about and building new technical solutions, and to that end, boosting competitiveness given the challenges of our industry,” said Jones Belther, director of mining exploration and technology at Nexa, which was formerly known as Votorantim Metais. “It’s an initiative that opens up space for the development of new ideas.”
The first phase of the program, which was developed in partnership with tech accelerator Techmall, will select 36 start-ups that will go through an initial immersion period. From those, 24 will be selected to deliver in-person business-case presentations. Nexa will select 12 finalists, which will each recieve a financial investment, a year of guidance from qualified professionals, and access to the Nexa’s facilities and technical know-how.
Launched in 2016, Mining Lab is a pioneering program in the mining sector. The first edition, which is currently underway, was aimed at renewable energy and nanotechnology. Five projects are now in the pilot stage and are expected to be implemented into Nexa’s operations at completion.
About Nexa Resources
Nexa Resources is a large-scale, low-cost integrated zinc producer with over 60 years of experience developing and operating mining and smelting assets in Latin America. The Company operates and owns five long-life underground mines, three located in the Central Andes of Peru and two located in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Two of the Company’s mines, Cerro Lindo in Peru and Vazante in Brazil, are among the 12 largest zinc mines in the world and combined with the Company’s other mining operations, place the Company among the top five producers of mined zinc globally in 2016, according to Wood Mackenzie.
