The Minerals Stewardship Consortium (MSC) at MIT convenes industry and academic experts to advance responsible, scalable strategies for the production, use, and stewardship of critical minerals, continuing to support essential global efforts in energy transition and deployment of advanced technologies. The MSC equips companies as they aim to prioritize the environmental, social, and economic impacts of mining, while building resilient mineral supply chains and ensuring ethical access to those minerals. Through fostering collaboration across disciplines and sectors, the consortium links innovations in technology systems with broader metrics of accounting for market dynamics and local impact.
We have several research pillars that guide our work:
- Digital Mining and Decision Support: Develop advanced data stitching, simulation, and AI tools to support mine design and operational decision-making under uncertainty.
- Social, Ecological, and Economic Integration: Build frameworks for community engagement, environmental impact mitigation, and equitable economic outcomes.
- Environmental Monitoring and Remote Sensing: Use AI-driven remote sensing to monitor ecological changes, biodiversity, and remediation progress at mining sites.
- Market and Policy Innovation: Develop supply-demand models and policy strategies that integrate environmental, geopolitical, and social risk into mineral market planning.