Problem, meet solution. Problem solvers, meet Dr No, the Robot Guy and The Godmother. That was what was on the menu at the latest Western Australian Mining Club luncheon and it’s fair to say the panel’s messages weren’t always the most palatable for the many tech start-ups in the room.
“There’s no shortage of people with ideas on how we can run our businesses better,” said former Rio Tinto and BHP “innovation gatekeeper”, Grant Wellwood, aka Dr No, who these days works as a consultant.
“As a gatekeeper it's my job to protect the company from the tsunami of pitches that come their way.”
The sea of exploration, mining, mineral processing, metal recovery and recycling technology on offer continues to rise. Mad scientists are bringing microbial metal recovery, muon tomography and robots with four, two and no legs to the procurement table. InvestMETS.com currently follows more than 1000 international mining and metals tech companies and has seen more than US$19 billion of M&A and financing in the space over the past five years – unprecedented for a previously invisible mining and metals tech sector.
