Pioneer with us
We are looking for innovative solutions that will help us pioneer progress. We supply minerals and metals that are essential to everyday life, but we need to continue to innovate and evolve our practices.
We want your innovative ideas and solutions to some of our current business challenges. Whether you’re a start-up entrepreneur or an existing business, with small-scale ideas or proven solutions and technology. We know that we’re stronger when we work together.
Our Pioneer Portal gives you a platform to be heard and potentially deliver real value to our business.
Our current business challenges
HME emissions monitoring
HME emissions monitoring
At Rio Tinto, we aspire to leave a positive legacy for future generations.
Our surface mines operate a fleet of more than 650 heavy haulage trucks, moving more than 1.5 billion tonnes of material each year.
As we race to reduce our carbon emissions, we know we can do more to reduce our fuel usage, gaseous and particulates emissions.
We are reaching out to the global research, technology, and innovation industry, seeking solutions that can monitor our equipment exhaust for contaminants to help us benchmark, observe and optimise our fuel usage and emissions.
While your solution may not meet every requirement, we would like to hear from those that can demonstrate capability and are willing to partner with us to invent or extend proven technologies.
Submissions close on 31 January 2023 and we will shortlist by the end of February.
For further information, please review the document below.
Capture and re-use energy from our rail wagon fleet
Capture and re-use energy from our rail wagon fleet
We recognise that we have significant scope 1 and 2 emissions and know we must address this with urgency to be part of the solution the world is looking for.
We have committed to a 50% reduction in our Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions by 2030, and net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
New technologies will be essential to helping us decarbonise our operations. One way we plan to reduce our emissions is by transitioning our diesel locomotives to battery electric locomotives.
Energy recovery and re-use is possible via regenerative braking on the battery electric locomotives, however, regenerative braking alone does not provide enough energy to drive the trains without additional charging.
We’re seeking emerging technologies that will capture energy from our wagon fleet, eliminating the need for charging infrastructure and delivering capital savings opportunities.
If you have a solution that could help support our efforts to decarbonise our rail network, please submit your idea.
For further information, please review the document below.
Submissions close 30th November.
Identify emerging maritime fuel efficiency and carbon reduction technologies
Identify emerging maritime fuel efficiency and carbon reduction technologies
At Rio Tinto, we aspire to leave a positive legacy for future generations.
Our Marine team orchestrates a fleet of more than 230 chartered vessels at any given time, operating alongside 17 vessels which we own, to transport over 300 million tonnes of product per annum.
As one of the world’s largest dry-bulk shippers, we have an opportunity to accelerate net zero marine emissions. Vessel efficiency gains, combined with alternative fuels, will be a critical part of the solution.
We seek opportunities to innovate and implement emerging technologies that will increase vessel efficiency and reduce carbon output, aiming to broaden their application to support efforts to decarbonise the global maritime industry.
Backed by a funding pool of up to $20 million, two of our owned 205k DWT Newcastlemax vessels will be made available to retrofit as a “floating lab” in early 2023.
By crowdsourcing solutions to this complex challenge, we hope to identify and support projects that will help deliver breakthrough positive outcomes for our shipping value chain, and ultimately, the maritime industry through sharing of our findings.
Submissions for this initiative have closed.
For further information, please review the documents below.
Sustainable mine water remediation
Sustainable mine water remediation
We are looking to partner with experts to find solutions that can selectively target and efficiently remove selected constituents from mining influenced water.
The use of selective technologies will enhance water recovery, reduce residual waste and drive the recovery of valuable resources from the water. This will deliver improved environmental outcomes, generate new revenue streams and offset closure costs.
The goal of this campaign is to identify, support, validate and eventually implement treatment solutions that achieve:
- Specific removal of contaminants known to adversely affect downstream treatment processes and which limit or impede end uses and recovery processes
- Selective separation of high value constituents (e.g. Cu, Ni, Co, Li, Zn, Mn and rare earth elements) from water and wastes in a high-quality form that can be readily commercialised
- Develop new revenue opportunities from the development of local opportunities such as the production of a fit-for-purpose water supply for communities, industries, and agriculture
We want to partner with solution providers to develop projects that can overcome current challenges at a number of our closed assets and emerging challenges at some of our currently operating assets that are transitioning to closure. These projects will play an integral part in the R&D pipeline of opportunities for the next three years and beyond.
Rio Tinto is willing to fund and/or cost share individual projects from US$50,000 up to US$2 million. Funding may be made available as a mix of cash and in-kind (e.g. site access for prototyping or testing, subject matter expertise, wastewater samples).
Submissions are now closed; however, a submission can be made through the normal Pioneer Portal process by selecting ‘other’.
For further information, please review the documents below.
Do you have an idea or technology that could transform the mining industry?
We are seeking out original ideas, from the unproven to those ready to deploy. Your idea should address a collaboration opportunity relevant to our business. In turn, we may support you with funding, laboratory and research space, professional coaching, access to operations, or if it is a product purchase.
Process
Here’s what will happen once you submit your idea:
- You will receive an email confirmation acknowledging receipt
- Your idea is posted onto our internal social networking platform for open review and further reviewed by our expert panel (who reviews submissions monthly)
- You will receive an email with an update or decision
- If we choose to proceed further with your idea, we will assign you a key contact to progress
This process can take up to two months.
What you'll need to provide
Whether you are providing a solution for one of our current business challenges or sharing your own technology, here is what you will need to provide when submitting your idea:
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Pitch details
Brief description of the idea, solution or product, including:
- Problem to be solved
- How the solution solves this problem
- What differentiates this from other solutions
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Value proposition
What is considered to be the potential value to Rio Tinto if the idea is fully developed? This may relate to our business priorities - Safety, People, Cash, Growth and Partnerships.
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Business uses
How would this solution be deployed, including:
- Where could we benefit from this
- Time taken to realise the benefits
- The plan for deployment
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Status
What is the product status of your solution, including:
- Standard off-the-shelf product status
- Development requirements
- Patents etc
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Expectations
What support from us or expectations are you looking for? That is:
- Direct purchase
- Development cooperation/partnership
- Site access
- Access to subject matter experts
In return, what will you provide?
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Supporting documents
Please provide any materials that could support your submission.
Our past successes
Keeping cool 2km underground
Resolution Copper Project, Arizona, US
It’s almost two kilometres to the bottom of Resolution Copper’s mine shafts. At these depths, temperatures can reach around 80°C.
More
Working in these temperatures requires continuous cooling supplied through huge ventilation systems – and these giant air conditioners require a lot of electricity to run. To help reduce carbon emissions, the Resolution Copper team sought a solution to capture and use the energy created by latent heat sources like underground water.
More than 20 companies contributed a range of possible solutions, ranging from early-stage developments to off-the-shelf products. These included absorption coolers, which use heat from air and water to produce cool air – like a refrigerator; using geothermal heat to create electricity to run the air conditioners; and converting solar energy from the surface to power the air conditioners below the ground.
The Resolution Copper project is now working with two companies to further investigate possible solutions. Our Energy and Climate Change teams are looking at how other proposed solutions could be used more broadly across Rio Tinto.
Extending the life of carbon anodes
Bell Bay Aluminium, Tasmania, Australia
Aluminium is made using a process where carbon anodes create a chemical reaction, changing alumina into the shiny, lightweight metal used in everything from food packaging to cars. Through the smelting process, the carbon anodes are consumed.
More
For many years our Bell Bay aluminium operation has been pioneering a coating for carbon anodes to help reduce consumption, and therefore waste. Through the Pioneer Portal, the team sought a world-first solution to automatically apply their protective coating on baked carbon anodes.
Companies offered solutions ranging from immersion to spraying. The Bell Bay team is now working with a company to introduce robotic manufacturing technologies – like those used in the automotive industry – to apply the protective coating on their anodes.
Frequently asked questions
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How do I submit my innovation for consideration by Rio Tinto?
Whether you are an individual inventor, or represent a small business or listed company, after submitting your idea, a mail response will acknowledge your submission and you will be contacted by us again within two months.
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What kind of information does Rio Tinto need in your submission?
We need:
- A clear, concise description that conveys the nature of the innovation
- The unique features and benefits it offers relative to existing solutions
- The status of your intellectual property
Supporting documents can be attached when completing the form. Please remember that all information submitted must be non-confidential.
For more information, please refer to the 'What you'll need to provide' section higher on this page.
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My innovation is neither patented nor patent-pending. May I still submit?
Patents and other forms of intellectual property are used to establish ownership and protect the legal rights of the owners of various kinds of innovations and works. For your own protection and ours, we may decline to review your open innovation submission if it appears to lack intellectual property protection.
We cannot advise you on if you should pursue a patent, design or other form of intellectual property protection. For more information regarding the nature of intellectual property and its uses, you may wish to consult your legal representative or appropriate government agencies.
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Will Rio Tinto sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before I share my innovation?
Please first describe your innovation without disclosing any confidential information. If we have interest in learning more, we will contact you to establish the necessary agreements.
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How can I arrange to present my innovation in person?
Our initial review is based wholly on the non-confidential information you provide in your open innovation submission. Face-to-face meetings, phone conferences, or live demonstrations are not usually required at this stage.
It can take up to two months for our initial review to be carried out. If we need additional information during that period, we will contact you.
We therefore ask that you be patient and not contact us about your submission.
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Who will review my submission and how long will the review take?
Each innovation is posted onto our internal social networking tool, Yammer, for open review by the Rio Tinto community. Additionally, these are reviewed by an expert panel who determines how to route it to ensure it reaches the relevant people within our company. In many cases, this can mean review by several parts of the organisation to evaluate technical merit or strategic business fit for us.
We are committed to reaching a decision as quickly as possible, however a thorough initial review, especially of a technological innovation, may take up to two months to complete.
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If Rio Tinto is interested in my submission, how much will I be paid for it?
Compensation is an important component of any business transaction. The value of an idea will be determined in discussions between Rio Tinto and the party which controls the rights to the intellectual property and its practice. Each property is therefore evaluated on its own merits and as a result, there is no standard amount.
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What type of business relationship with Rio Tinto could result from my submission?
This could take a variety of forms, depending upon the specifics of the innovation and both the potential partner's and our needs, including a licensing or supply agreement, or other type of collaborative venture.
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For what reasons might Rio Tinto decline to pursue my submission?
We understand that those submitting to the open innovation portal desire feedback, including the reasons why we may decide to decline an opportunity. However, we are usually not at liberty to give detailed reasons. Generally speaking, submissions are most often declined for one or more of the following reasons:
- The proposed solution is already known to us
- We already have work in progress in the area covered by the submission
- The opportunity is not a strategic match with where we want to take our business or brands
- The size of the opportunity does not fit with our business plans
- There is a lack of protected intellectual property associated with the submission
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What does Rio Tinto do with personal information that I provide with my open innovation portal registration?
Rio Tinto will use this information to communicate with you about your submission. It will not be used for any other purpose, nor will it shared with any third party.
Disclaimer
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About your submission
We encourage you to include proof points or evidence that can help to provide us with confidence in the feasibility and effectiveness of your solution or concept, and to recommend a course of action.
We may elect to proceed with any, all or none of the submissions. Similarly, there could be aspects of your solution that could work with other solutions, hence consider whether you would be willing to work with other third parties. This will be discussed on an individual basis.
Please submit via the form on the Pioneer Portal and ensure that you agree to the Terms and Conditions.
For further clarification email pioneerportal@riotinto.com.
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Disclaimer
All information or advice provided as part of this website is intended to be general in nature. Rio Tinto is not liable for any action you may take as a result of relying on such information or advice or for any loss or damage suffered by you as a result of you taking this action.
By submitting any ideas or other material you agree that Rio Tinto does not have any duty to treat such ideas or other material as confidential even when such ideas or other material are marked as or referred to by you as confidential.
By submitting your proposal you agree with the above and confirm having read and agreed to our Terms and Conditions and privacy notice.
