Collaboration is at the heart of the MINOTAUR project, bringing together expertise from industry, academia, and policy to tackle the challenges of sustainable innovation in mining.
By working across sectors and sharing knowledge, we aim to create solutions that drive progress and benefit the entire value chain.
Curious about the organisations driving this initiative forward?
Explore project’s stakeholders and discover the diverse expertise shaping the future of mining:
Project Partner Introduction:
Luleå University of Technology (LTU) have performed excellent research, development, and innovation for Mining, Steel and Pulp and Paper for the past 20 years. At LTU, we are entering the MINOTAUR project with the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Group.
The Robotics and AI research group at Lulea University of Technology is at the forefront of the green transition, with sustainability at the core of our research initiatives. We are bringing the mining industry into the era of digitalization, where our expertise streamlines operations and enhances safety, environmental responsibility, and efficiency.
We excel in the fields of robotics, automation, digitalization, and AI. Our groundbreaking projects have revolutionized workplace safety by enabling robots to autonomously perform hazardous tasks.
Our sustained success is underpinned by our enduring partnerships with industry leaders, which continue to yield impactful research outcomes. Join us in shaping the future of robotics and AI, where innovation meets sustainability.
Role in the project:
The Robotics and AI group at LTU is a project coordinator with a major technical role in autonomy development and system integration. LTU will lead the autonomy for novel robotic work package (WP4) and develop a trusted autonomy framework for the next generation of exploratory drilling robotics, working closely with the robot design, online geo-modelling and in-situ measurements. LTU will lead the system integration and testing work package (WP6), which iteratively integrates all the technical developments in MINOTAUR.
Project Partner Introduction:
IMA will participate and contribute to MINOTAUR project with a Team of engineers, chemists, lawyers and communication specialists who have rich experience translating technically complex concepts and technologies into simple messages for policymakers and the general audience.
IMA-Europe is the decisive EU voice of industrial minerals producers and importers. Its mission is to develop a thriving industrial minerals sector at the heart of a sustainable Europe. IMA-Europe helps industrial mineral companies to continuously improve their performance and reputation by tackling issues related to minerals’ properties and safe use, from their extraction and processing to their entire value chain.
Leading WPs/Tasks:
IMA will lead Tasks 8.1 to 8.3 in the Communication, Dissemination work package (WP8) and support activities linked in exploitation.
Project Partner Introduction:
TERNA MAG will participate and contribute to MINOTAUR project, by providing their mine to use as a demonstration site.
TERNA MAG is a magnesite and magnesia producer and, member of GEK TERNA GROUP, one of the leading business groups in Greece. It exploits the world-class magnesite deposits in the northern part of Euboea Island. Its large volume reserves comprise high-purity, boron-free, low-iron, cryptocrystalline magnesite.
Leading WPs/Tasks:
TERNA MAG will provide and give access to their mine to use it as a demonstration site for the MINOTAUR project.
Project Partner Introduction:
UPAT will participate and contribute to MINOTAUR project with the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics and with the Geology Department. The Mechanical Engineering department that has a lot of experience in designing novel robotic concepts and robotized machines. The Geology team consists of geoscientists and chemical engineers with experience in geochemical analysis using portable XRF sensors as well as the analysis of petrophysical properties.
The University of Patras is internationally recognized for its high-quality research and academic activities, focusing on innovation and achieving global impact. The university actively participates in European and national research projects and collaborates with industries to promote innovation and technology transfer.
Leading WPs/Tasks:
UPAT support activities related to the design of novel drilling and actuation mechanisms (WP2) and the design of sensor suites concerning the robot autonomy and the online in-situ geochemical analysis (WP3). Moreover, they will also contribute to the system simulation and integration (WP6).
Project Partner Introduction:
PWR will participate and contribute to MINOTAUR project with the Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, and the Digital Mining Center Research Group, which has rich experience in exploration geology, mining, data analytics and geo-modeling, signal processing, and robotics for mining.
The Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining, and Geology specializes in research and education in mining, geology, and environmental engineering in areas such as mineral resource exploration, mining technologies, geotechnical engineering, and environmental protection. The DMC research group activities include machine diagnostics, predictive maintenance, the economy of mining processes, and other topics that require a data analytics approach. DMC has an extraordinary and fast-growing team of engineers and scientists who combine the passion for scientific research with the capabilities of performing on-site measurements, advanced data processing, and contextual analytics to build the cutting-edge research and development environment.
Leading WPs/Tasks:
PWR will contribute to system requirements and specifications for MINOTAUR Explorers, specifically on challenges related to geological and hydrogeological conditions, legal and formal requirements, and mining industry needs regarding data quality (WP1). Moreover, they will be involved in developing data-driven methods for local resource characterization to ascertain the quality and composition of the ore. They will work on analysing the possible relation of MINOTAUR exploration strategies to UNFC (WP2: Novel robotic explorers for deep exploration drilling and WP5: Online geo-modelling and resource characterization). The project will be run in the modern laboratory facility GEO3EM, which is equipped with innovative infrastructure for developing digital and robotized solutions for mining and geology.
Project Partner Introduction:
DTU will participate and contribute to MINOTAUR project with the Department of Electrical Engineering, which has extensive experience in mechatronic development and control. The department emphasizes collaboration with industry and public organizations to translate research into practical solutions.
At DTU Electro, the immense possibilities of the electrical and photonics engineering are combined and further explored. The group is involved in research activities used in the healthcare sector for diagnostics, treatment and improving the quality of life, as well as research into the development of more sustainable energy systems, safer autonomous systems and a faster, greener and more secure internet.
Leading WPs/Tasks:
DTU will lead the novel robotic explorers for deep exploration drilling work package (WP2), where the mechanical design and testing of the MINOTAUR explorers will be performed. DTU will lead task 4.2 on designing low-level controllers for the MINOTAUR agents. They will also be major contributing partners in novel sensing and actuation mechanisms for guided contour drilling work package (WP3) and the autonomy for novel robotic explorers’ work package (WP4).
Project Partner Introduction:
IST-ID will participate and contribute to MINOTAUR project through CERENA (Centro de Recursos Naturais e Ambiente), one of the IST-ID research centers with an excellent rating, in straight cooperation with the Department of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineering (DER) through a team of researchers with expertise in diverse disciplines such as mineralogy, petrology, geophysics, petrophysics, rock mechanics, geostatistics and uncertainty modelling, simulation and optimization and machine learning applied to mining and energy resources engineering.
IST-ID is a private non-for-profit research institution, belonging to the University of Lisbon, the largest school of engineering in Portugal. It hosts 18 research centers with a cumulative total budget of over €186M in European projects. IST-ID mission and main purpose is the development of Science and Technology activities, the transmission of knowledge, and the promotion of the participation of national and foreign researchers, nationally and internationally, in RD&I projects in its areas of intervention.
Leading WPs/Tasks:
IST-ID will lead WP5 on geological modelling with spatial data science methods (including geostatistics), as well as geophysical and geomechanical modelling. This team will support activities in WP1(System requirements and specifications for MINOTAUR Explorers), WP3 (Novel sensing and actuation mechanisms for guided contour drilling) and WP5 (Online geo-modelling and resource characterization).
Project Partner Introduction:
CFI connects research, industry, and community can lead to impactful collaborations and the successful introduction of novel technologies into society. By bridging these sectors, CFI facilitates the translation of cutting-edge research into real-world applications, fostering innovation, economic growth, and societal advancement.
Leading WPs/Tasks:
CFI will lead Tasks 8.4 to 8.5 in the Communication and Dissemination work package (WP8), and support activities linked with communication & dissemination.