Uppsala University (UU; Sweden) has a combined expertise in geosciences, miniaturised systems and information systems. The Geophysics program has a large pool of geophysical instruments. It is also coordinating the Swedish Scientific Drilling Program (www.ssdp.se). UU has been heavily involved in exploration projects together with mining companies over the last 10 years, especially on the geophysics side.
Lund University (LU; Sweden) has expertise in drilling technology and in-situ testing with focus on hydraulic testing and geophysical borehole logging. LU has been involved in several commercial as well as geoscientific drilling projects, including in-situ measurements, since the late 1970s. LU has also expertise in designing and implementing data acquisition systems for monitoring drilling operations. LU is in charge of the Swedish National Infrastructure for Scientific Drilling (Riksriggen) with a core drilling capacity down to 2500 m and has an extensive materials science laboratory.
Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF; Germany) is the oldest mining related university worldwide and the only university offering courses in the entire suite of geoscience in Germany. With its interlinked core themes of Geosciences, Materials, Energy and Environment, it is considered to be the "University of Resources" and its research directions are focused along these themes. TUBAF is involved in a large number of geophysical exploration projects at a variety of scales and applications.
Luleå University of Technology (LTU; Sweden) has expertise in geosciences with a strong focus on ore geology, structural controls on mineralised systems, geological 3D-4D-modeling and exploration geophysics. One of the worlds most advanced systems for in-situ rock stress measurements in deep slim-boreholes is being built by LTU and two partners (University of Strasbourg and Geosigma AB), continuing the long tradition of developing rock stress measurement tools at LTU. LTU has been and still is heavily involved in exploration projects with a strong coupling to the mining industry.
Epiroc (formerly Atlas Copco Rock Drills) develops, manufactures and markets equipment for exploration drilling and ground engineering. Epiroc will provide valuable input on how the network can best interact with industry.
Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ; Germany) is the national center for solid Earth sciences in Germany. GFZ runs a large geophysical instrument pool and has a focus on scientific drilling and downhole instruments and tools. As the executive agency of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP), GFZ operates and develops major equipment such as borehole logging probes and utilises the 4 and 9 km deep KTB boreholes in southern Germany as a test facility.
RISE Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE; Sweden) comprise the major Swedish research environment in rock materials, cement and concrete, with first class laboratory facilities for analysis and characterisation of mineralogical and textural properties, mechanical investigations on intact rock (e.g. UCS, triaxial compression, tensile tests, fracture mechanics tests) and joints (direct shear tests), aided with measurement systems to determine deformation fields using DIC and microseismic events via AE sensors and wave velocity measurements (P/S), and modelling of materials and structures. RISE has collaborated with SGU since 1992 and together developed a bedrock classification system and mapping concept. The combination of material characterisation, experimental investigations and modelling has proven to be a successful concept in many research projects and commissions.
LTU Business AB (Sweden) is business development company with substantial experience in feasibility studies, go-to-market strategies and business models.