At the 2017 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference in Toronto, ERM ran a discussion panel called The Uberization of Mining and Metals.

The session and its title, proposed and organized by ERM, made national headlines in Canada in their Financial Post newspaper as one of the hot topics from the conference.  The session was chaired by Louise Pearce, ERM’s Global Head of Mining. Panelists included Gillian Davidson - Board Member & Sustainability Committee Chair of Lydian International, Michelle Ash - Chief Innovation Officer at Barrick Gold Corporation, Luis Canepari - Vice President, Information Technology at Goldcorp and Linden Edgell, Global Sustainability Director at ERM. 

“It’s a term we at ERM use in mining to look at new ways of thinking in the industry and how we can help improve efficiencies in the mining industry,” states Louise Pearce. “We have all seen the impact of new companies entering an industry with new ways of thinking and operating and whether you like them, or are a detractor, what cannot be argued is the impact they can have on the way the rest of the sector thinks and works,” adds Louise.

Uberization in Mining and Metals
So what do we mean by "Uberization" in Mining? Uberization focuses on the idea that established companies need to look for better ways of doing things by thinking differently about the technologies and ‘disruptive’ concepts and actions that challenge the traditional ways of doing business.

Some of these disruptors include implementing different finance models, better use of industry data, leveraging existing resources in local communities, and creating strategic partnerships with companies to improve and/or enhance mining operations. This is particularly true around the management of environmental, social and health & safety (EHSS) risks and with a growing realization of the need to recognize embracing these changes in the mining sector.

Learn more about ERM in the Mining Sector

Learn more about ERM's participation at PDAC2017