FAQ
Smart Exploration Research Center
Uppsala Sweden
What is Smart Exploration Research Center in a nutshell?
Smart Exploration Research Center is a multidisciplinary R&D focused center funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF). The center answered a call by the foundation to address critical raw materials (CRMs) exploration and mining in early 2023 through national competition.
Smart Exploration Research Center has been granted 60 MSEK and its lifetime is six years. Additional in-kind funds are provided by the partners reaching the budget to a total of approximately 120 MSKE. The center kicked off on 1st of January 2024 and will live under the SSF funding until the end of 2029.
Who is involved in the center activities? How does the center work?
The Smart Exploration Research Centre, based at Uppsala University and supported by three other universities (Gothenburg University, Lund University and Stockholm University), three mining companies (Nordic Iron Ore AB, Inmet Mining Sweden AB, Eurobattery Minerals AB) four technology and solution providers (Amkvo AB, BitSimNow AB, Epiroc AB and Tyréns AB), and one municipality-related entity (AB Samarkand2015) adresses knowledge gaps by developing new science and technologies for innovative exploration of CRMs.
It comprises a consortium of key academic and industrial partners in Sweden, bringing together expertise from four universities, two mining companies, and four technology and solution providers. The members possess diverse skills among which, economic and structural geology, geophysics, technology, nanotechnology, robotic solutions, data analytics, drilling technologies, safety and ethics, environmental and social governance (ESG), and sustainable development goals (SDGs).
This combination allows a smooth transition from research to innovation, innovation to development, which is important for market place and competitive growth.
What are the main objectives of the center?
The centre focuses on bridging knowledge gaps by developing new technologies and scientific methods for innovative CRM exploration. It aims to provide Sweden with cutting-edge exploration solutions while establishing itself as a global hub for high-quality scientific research, attracting both mining companies and young professionals. Additionally, the centre plans to facilitate further research and development activities through thematic proposals with its partners and supporting companies.
It would serve Sweden with new exploration solutions to become a global centre; providing high-quality science and research, attracting mining companies, and young professionals.
How does the center operate to reach its objectives?
The center operates through four technical and scientific hubs, aligned to address specific knowledge gaps. The scoping works focus on the concept of "targeting across scales" and are interconnected through three main themes: (1) Innovation-Digitalization, (2) Footprints-Pathfinders, and (3) Integration-Target Ranking. These efforts are characterized by scientific boldness and/or technical potential to generate valuable intellectual properties (IPs). Our primary goals are to test the applicability of solutions through demonstration and advancement to higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), and/or to contribute to the generation of new models, data, and targets. The ultimate goal is to increase new primary and secondary solutions but also link exploration to mineral processing and extraction methods.
Where does the center operate pilot studies?
Four validation sites are already available through our partners and our earlier work in Sweden:
- in Bergslagen where primary IOCG deposits enriched with REEs are targeted,
- Swedish Caledonide where we look into black-shale and associated deposits including white spot/deposits,
- Li-bearing and alkaline and carbonatite systems, and
- magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE and IOCG systems in northern Sweden.
Where relevant, deposits and geological conditions outside Sweden will also be studied to provide analogue for improved exploration targeting. Several of the solutions should find their ways beyond Sweden for pilot work and higher TRLs.
Why does a focused research center for exploration of critical raw materials matter?
Climate action requires an accelerated energy transition for decarbonization and carbon neutrality, which in turns requires access to minerals, in particular the critical raw materials and strategic minerals, here collectively referred to as CRMs. Sweden was once world-leading in mineral exploration and innovation (e.g., frontier on geophysical systems), but chose to focus primarily on exploitation and less on investment in innovation in mineral exploration; boldly speaking, the result being that Sweden is now a follower in exploration solutions, not a leader. To ensure sustainable access to CRMs at the same pace as green technologies in Sweden, a focused knowledge centre involving broader expertise and institutions was needed. The accelerated push for green technologies and politics around CRMs (e.g., supply risks for many Swedish service and product companies) have forced many countries to reassess their resources and pay more attention towards innovation and addressing environmental-social-governance (ESG) issues already at the exploration stage. Therefore, ample opportunity exists for new players, companies, solutions, and competences for the exploration of CRMs in Sweden. Sweden has a suitable geology, within the entire country, with several CRM deposits already identified in both Archean and Phanerozoic rocks.
What does the center do for social responsibility?
The center has social duty to reach out the public. It is not just a project task but also our social responsibility to communicate to the public, stakeholders, decision-makers and NGOs as to the beneficiaries, researchers and entrepreneurs.
The center gives a great importance to Civil Society Engagement, has planned for Social Licence to Operate (SLO) pilot studies, ESG-related way of operating its activities and the exploration work, and undertakes special activities during the field works in particular. Town hall meetings with the local community are being held, flyers and posters are hung up at announcement boards in the neighbourhoods, local media is contacted, and local schools have visited our activities. While we focus in Sweden, we want to be a role model, a neutral and unbiased center for both technical and also “tic tank” hub for socioeconomic aspects of exploration and mining for both the public and technical communities in order to improve exploration at a global scale. Bad examples have already harmed the mining industry for long time and this appearance has to be improved.
How does the center reach the market? What will happen to the project results, findings and data?
The center and its core partners are publishing several targeted popular news and scientific articles at different magazines and journals and produces promotional materials in our main cannel in LinkedIn. We will have exposure in major events but run our exploitation tours. We have also planned for e-lecturers and webinar sessions in order to reach the audiences when not possible to travel. These online sessions will be recorded and made available to public through the center ’s website and other platforms currently being platform.
Data will become open access as soon as the tasks are completed and when businesses are protected. Links and information how to obtain them will be provided at later stage.
It is a strong ambition of the project partners to bring the prototypes and methodologies developed within the center to the market and to make them widely available for use. We have developed a business strategy plan, and have started protecting our IPs via trademarks, patents and other means in order to maximize the commercial values of the solutions.
Are there any health or environmental risks involved during the Smart Exploration Research Centre’s activities?
Potential risks are studied rigorously and continuously, and measures have been planned to mitigate any potential concerns. The center aims at developing environmentally-friendly instruments and solutions for non-invasive exploration activities. All the prototypes being developed should meet Swedish and EU standards. Health, Safety, Security and Environmental risks are carefully drafted in a HSSE plan and ways to mitigate them provided. This is done prior to any field activities but also meetings of the center.
We aim for the “zero harm to people”, “zero harm to the environment” and “no work is important if cannot be done safely” rule.
The exploration solutions, promotion materials and our activities should not pose any risk to the public or environment.
How to get involved with the center?
We have planned to accept sponsors, field trials and “Friends of the Center” through two different membership levels: (1) HREE and (2) LREE and commercial work. Already at this stage we have all the four Nordic geological Surveys (SGU, NGU, GTK, and GEUS) as well as BHP, Anglo American and Metal Earth Research Center as the supporter of the center providing data, exchange of knowledge, mobility for young researchers and upscaling opportunities.
Check our website and follow our social media channels for the project outcomes and achievements. Contact us at PGEgY2xhc3MgPSAibF9tYWlsIGxfbmV3X3dpbmRvdyIgaHJlZj0ibWFpbHRvOmluZm9Ac21hcnRleHBsb3JhdGlvbi5zZSIgdGFyZ2V0PV9ibGFuaz5pbmZvQHNtYXJ0ZXhwbG9yYXRpb24uc2U8L2E+ or directly the research director at PGEgY2xhc3MgPSAibF9tYWlsIGxfbmV3X3dpbmRvdyIgaHJlZj0ibWFpbHRvOmFsaXJlemEubWFsZWhtaXJAZ2VvLnV1LnNlIiB0YXJnZXQ9X2JsYW5rPmFsaXJlemEubWFsZWhtaXJAZ2VvLnV1LnNlPC9hPg== for collaboration.
