Over the past couple months, Clear Creek Digital was contracted to help organize and promote Unearthed Denver. The event was a weekend-long, 52-hour hackathon where teams of computer programmers, data scientists, entrepreneurs and other creative disruptors were able to develop and pitch some potential solutions specific to mining operations.
With Barrick Gold being the main sponsor of the event, the teams (over a dozen total) were able to get a glimpse into the company's operations. Challenges provided by Barrick included streamlining FLRA reports, forecasting agitator failure, and efficiently automating the waste/ore classification system using imagery.
The work put into the weekend of inspiring, to say the least. The ideas presented at the end of the event, however, were remarkable. Not only did these young developers dive straight into issues typical to mining operations, but they were able to learn more about the industry than they ever knew before.
Perspectives changed through an explicit experience.
This made us think of how innovation in the mining sector can also be utilized to expand public trust and information about the industry. Not only will innovation streamline efficiencies in operations, but it could also help rebuild public trust.
If we think about it clearly, we don't necessarily mine the same way we did 15 years ago, right? And we certainly don't communicate the same way we did 15 years ago.
So if we are willing to innovate our mine, why not innovate our communications as well?
Perhaps the concern is that we are still not quite sure where the paradigm shift in communications is going to stop and stabilize. This is a difficult pill to swallow for an industry which despises uncertainties. The issue, however, is that the shift will continue to happen until innovations calm. Lucky for us, we have people like those from Unearthed Denver which will continue to creatively disrupt innovations.
Call us crazy, but we feel confident to share that both mining innovations and communication tools will continue to evolve for a very long time. (We'll talk about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in another blog down the road.)
So lets begin talking about our mining companies reaching for innovative strategies to communicate. What role can Instagram play in raising investor interest in the future? What mobile-specific videos will differentiate your operations from others? What can we do online to break us away from the pack of other mining and exploration companies?
Whatever your thoughts or ideas, we're here to help you innovate those strategies.