From the Dead Sea minerals extracted for fertilizers, flame retardants, and unique health products to the world-renowned local diamond industry, key Israeli industries have long been closely linked to extraction and mining.
Although the country may be better known for its vibrant high-tech ecosystem and its pioneering development of agricultural technologies like drip irrigation, it is exactly Israel’s prowess in these domains that has spun off innovation in mining technologies, to the benefit of mining industries worldwide. In fact, mining companies worldwide have utilized Israeli technology and sustainable environmental solutions to improve their operations and unlock new efficiencies.
Here’s a look at just a few of the Startup Nation’s most promising companies driving innovation in mining:
· Founded in 2005, P2W (Pollution to Water) develops wastewater treatment systems for heavy metal removal, including treatments for arsenic, copper, cadmium, lead, nickel, manganese, cobalt, and more. The company, which has offices in Israel, Ghana, and South Africa, has developed several patented treatment solutions, with an eye towards enabling both industrial production and environmental sustainability.
· Razor Labs aids enterprises in adopting AI solutions, building custom neural networks designed to optimize customers’ business processes and maximize ROI. The company has played a vital role in mining companies’ AI adoption, helping companies like the Australian gold miner Newcrest leverage data science to generate new value.
· Robotics incubator Cogniteam has supported startups and solution development for a wide range of industries, including mining. The incubator has received support from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), a renowned Pentagon agency, for its work with researchers from Ben Gurion University and Israel Aerospace Industries to develop “rescue robots” that can aid in the event of mining collapses and other industrial or natural disasters.
· Airobotics’ end-to-end drone solution targets customers in the energy, mining, and oil and gas industries. Using the company’s industrial-grade platform, mining companies can gather aerial data, map terrain, manage assets, improve situational awareness, and inspect infrastructure and equipment.
Harnessing the country’s top-flight research institutions, technological ingenuity, industrial knowhow, and human capital, Israel has an outsized impact on key global industries, extending far beyond locally-based operations. Across continents and sectors, miners using Israeli solutions are striking gold.
In May, the Economic Mission to Chile will host an event that will focus on the Israeli mining solutions. To learn more about the upcoming event please click here.