Resource Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer: In conversation with Leigh Staines

So so in mid 2023.

I had a list of about 16 different commercialization ideas at the SMI and a need to rank and assess those ideas and look at their stage and their potential and that sort of thing.

And I knew this person named Lee Staines from her background in industry and other connections.

So I invited her for a coffee.

Lee, over to you.

And here I am as industry advisor on the Trailblazer program.

So wonderful to be having this opportunity to chat about our journey over the last couple of years, Rick.

I think what motivated me around the program when we first met and had a chat around this opportunity was that coming from industry, I was really aware that the challenges we face have a genuine need for step change solutions.

We've had a long journey of trying to continually optimise and improve.

But when we talk about some of these bigger challenges, we need new ideas.

And the reality is the research often already exists with the kernel of those ideas or those technology opportunities.

But there is a need to really create a partnering development pathway to take those through to application.

So one of the things I've found myself often talking about is particularly in the resources sector focus that we are for our Trailblazer, rather than there being this, you know, somewhat messy middle, as it's often called in taking innovation through to implementation, we really have a missing middle.

And we're talking about the D and R&D, the development phase to go from early stage research through to full commercial application.

So my role has really been as a facilitator in trying to bring the conversations together between the researchers involved in these new ideas and the industry representatives that could help with that journey to take it through to application.

And I think that it's been a real evolution as we've seen ourselves go from your initial list of 16 specific ideas through to what does this mean from a broader ecosystem evolution between the parties.