Mines and Minerals Innovation Summer

Purpose and goal

The project´s aim was achieved through the implementation of a national summer program where students worked on thematic innovation cases linked to the mining and mineral value chain. The project´s goals were met by: – Carrying out two innovation cases by four students divided into two teams in 2021 – Bringing the cases closer to market through validation activities with potential new markets – exposing the students as well as the cases to actors in the industry and the innovation system in general

Expected results and effects

The program´s results and expected effects were achieved by: – Developing the students´ entrepreneurial abilities through training and with the support of dedicated coaches – Presenting the mining industry as an attractive alternative career path after graduation – Implementing collaboration between academia and industry which lowers the threshold for future collaborative activities – Validating and verifying the market need for business ideas and by doing so preparing the cases for other initiatives downstream in the innovation system (eg incubators / accelerators).

Planned approach and implementation

The current program was: – Implemented in parallel with three other thematic summer programs in an accelerator-like environment with collaboration across program boundaries. – Aimed at students at Swedish universities with a higher priority for students who have studied at least three years at relevant programs. – The students were matched in two multidisciplinary teams, each with its own innovation case.