Meet the Innovator: Brent Pearce, Chief Innovation Officer, MineARC Systems
MineARC Systems is the global leader in controlled environments and safety technologies for the underground mining, tunnelling, chemical processing, disaster relief and biotechnology industries. They specialise in the manufacture and supply of emergency refuge chambers, safe havens, disaster shelters and grow chambers, as well as a range of remote monitoring, tracking and communications technologies that allow full integration in heavy industrial applications.
With 20 years’ experience in the field, MineARC Systems dedication to ongoing research and development has kept them at the forefront of controlled environment and safe refuge technology. MineARC Refuge Chambers have been used successfully around the world in multiple mining and tunnelling emergencies to save lives. MineARC Systems engineer, manufacture and supply industrial equipment to operations in over 60 countries.
Brent Pearce is the Chief Innovation Officer with MineARC with a key focus on identifying new products and market opportunities. Ahead of Brent joining CORE Innovation Hub Perth for Meet the Innovator on Thursday, June 10, we sat down with him to discuss his role and some of the future industry challenges.
What does your role entail within the business and what will your key focus be in the coming months?
My role at MineARC as Chief Innovation Officer is centred around identifying new product and market opportunities. Among many items on the agenda, my key focus for the coming year will be the implementation and expansion of our new GuardIAN Intelligence Network product suite; which encompasses a range of integrated gas monitoring, smart lighting, personnel tracking and remote monitoring solutions. We are nearing the completion of a significant GuardIAN trial at a Goldfields mine site, which will soon allow us to measure the success of these products in a real-world environment. In addition, we have already identified a number of opportunities to expand and improve the GuardIAN range over the course of the year. Pending COVID, I am hoping to ‘get back out there’ on a global scale at some point this year. Ideas and inspiration come from many different channels, and I have missed being able to attend industry expos and visit international clients like in previous years.
What are 2-3 industry challenges you are facing/coming across?
There is lots of noise when it comes to the topic of underground technology, with many players in the game. To top it off, no-one really knows what they want and every mine site is different; often requiring a custom solution. Supply chain issues due to COVID have been another major challenge for us recently.
Supply chain issues due to COVID have been another major challenge for us recently. Whilst we manufacture most componentry in house, we are still reliant on international suppliers. We have had to be smart and adaptable to overcome this and maintain consistent production timeframes for our clients.
What are your thoughts around the structural shift of the mining industry in recent times and the accelerated pace of change in the resources sector?
As a relative newcomer to the mining industry, it is an exciting time! If you have a good product or solution, it is evident that you can influence the direction of where things go from here. New miners coming through the ranks are used to tech in their day to day lives so expectation on the workplace is higher than ever.
What does innovation mean to you and your company?
MineARC would not exist without ‘being the first’ at something. We began as innovators when the company was established in 1999, and we designed the first CO/CO2 scrubber specifically for refuge chambers. We are lucky that our ‘never say no’ attitude and willingness to take on risk leads us to areas that would not be a typical trajectory for a business like us. Biora is just one example where we have diversified into a completely new industry (biotech and agriculture). MineARC throws significant resources behind R&D, with over 10% of our full time employees dedicated to innovation and new products. Our Innovation Committee is in its 6th year, and is measured based on the success of the products, services and partnerships it brings to the business.
What are you most excited about covering in your upcoming session?
I am excited to share the MineARC story. To those who have not worked underground we might have a relatively low profile, however we are highly regarded in the industry and are a great West Australian success story. The evolution of our product range from capital equipment to a complete emergency response provider has keep us growing; allowing us to continue to recruit fantastic staff and to export WA manufactured products globally.
Hear more from Brent at Meet the Innovator, Thursday June 10 from 5pm at Base, CORE Innovation Hub Perth.
Tickets are $15 or FREE for CORE Members and guests.