Mine operators
Looking beyond incumbent suppliers for a step-change answer to a validated operational challenge.
Service 01 / Innovation scouting
Find what exists. See what is coming.
A structured, global search for proven and pre-commercial technologies — inside and outside mining — that can answer the challenges that matter to your operation.
- Starts with
- A challenge brief or a watch theme
- Indicative timing
- 6–12 weeks per search
- You leave with
- A scored short list and landscape report
Priority-led applications
Apply this service where it matters.
Explore proposed focus-area applications, evidence measures and safeguards. New engagements remain subject to an agreed scope and confirmed capacity.
See the proposed delivery gatesWhy it matters
The answer may already exist — somewhere else.
Mining rarely lacks ideas. It lacks a reliable way to find the right ones.
Useful solutions are scattered across start-ups, research labs, regional innovation centres and adjacent industries such as tunnelling, energy, aerospace and defence. Operators do not have the time to search them all, and vendors only show what they sell. CEMI runs a disciplined, vendor-neutral search so you can see the full field before committing.
Who it’s for
Built for the people who move mining forward.
Equipment & service suppliers
Seeking complementary technologies, partners or acquisition targets to strengthen an offering.
Funders & public agencies
Mapping the technology landscape behind a funding call, program or sector strategy.
How it works
5 stages. A clear decision at each.
Every stage ends with a deliverable and a decision gate, so you always know what you have and what happens next.
- Stage 01Week 1
Scouting mandate
Turn a challenge or theme into a search brief that suppliers and researchers can be measured against.
- Clarify the problem and the performance needed
- Set must-have and nice-to-have requirements
- Agree readiness threshold and deployment constraints
- Deliverable
- Scouting brief
- Decision gate
- Is the search scoped tightly enough to compare solutions fairly?
- Stage 02Weeks 2–5
Global search
Cast a wide net across the MICA network, research institutions, start-up ecosystems and adjacent industries.
- Network and database search
- Outreach to regional innovation centres and researchers
- Cross-industry analogues and patent signals
- Deliverable
- Long list of candidate solutions
- Decision gate
- Have we looked far enough beyond the usual suppliers?
- Stage 03Weeks 5–7
Screening & scoring
Apply a consistent scorecard so every option is assessed on the same terms.
- Technical fit against requirements
- Technology and commercial readiness
- Mining readiness: safety, ruggedization, integration
- Deliverable
- Scored short list
- Decision gate
- Which options are credible enough to engage directly?
- Stage 04Weeks 7–10
Engagement & diligence
Meet the short-listed teams, see the technology and test the claims.
- Introductory calls and demonstrations
- Reference checks and evidence review
- Initial view of IP, team and capacity
- Deliverable
- Opportunity profiles
- Decision gate
- Which solutions deserve a match, a watch or a co-development path?
- Stage 05Weeks 10–12
Landscape & recommendation
Report what exists, how mature it is and where gaps remain — with a clear recommendation.
- Technology landscape and maturity map
- Gap and white-space analysis
- Recommended next step for each option
- Deliverable
- Landscape report & recommendation
- Decision gate
- Hand off to solution matching, monitor, or launch an open challenge.
What you receive
Practical outputs. Not shelf reports.
Scouting brief
Solution-neutral requirements that make options comparable.
Scored short list
Candidates assessed on fit, readiness and mining suitability.
Opportunity profiles
A concise view of each short-listed team, technology and evidence.
Landscape report
The maturity map, white space and recommended next moves.
What we work towards
- A wider field of options than incumbent suppliers alone
- Confidence that the market has been searched fairly
- Earlier sight of emerging technologies and teams
- A clear decision on what to pursue, watch or develop
Ways to work with us
Engagement that fits the need.
Targeted scout
A focused search against one challenge brief, ending with a short list and recommendation.
- Format
- Single challenge, fixed scope
- Best for
- A specific, validated problem
Technology watch
Continuous monitoring of a theme — such as electrification or water — with regular landscape updates.
- Format
- Ongoing, quarterly updates
- Best for
- Strategic themes
Open innovation call
A structured call to innovators, with CEMI managing intake, evaluation and shortlisting.
- Format
- Public challenge, 3–6 months
- Best for
- Problems with no obvious answer
How we measure progress
What success looks like.
- Solutions identified and screened
- Share of options from outside mining
- Short-listed options progressing to matching
- Time from mandate to recommendation
Before the first conversation
What to bring.
- The challenge or theme you want to explore
- Performance you need to achieve
- Constraints: site, safety, integration, budget
- Solutions you have already considered
Common questions
Do we need a validated challenge before scouting?
It helps. If the problem is not yet clear, we usually start with challenge identification so the search is aimed at the right target.
Is the search vendor-neutral?
Yes. CEMI does not sell technology. Every option is assessed against the same brief and scorecard.
What happens to the short list?
Promising options can move directly into solution matching, where we design introductions, pilots and partnerships.
Innovation scouting