Mintek Expands Science Event, Launches Youth Grad Hackathon to Address National Challenges
Mintek today announced its expanded flagship science event, Mintek-SCi (Science Convention of Innovators), scheduled for October 1-2, 2025, at its campus in Randburg. Building on the success of the inaugural event, the 2025 edition grows to two days, featuring both its established Symposium and the newly introduced Mintek-SCi Grad Hackathon. Operating under the theme "The Next Frontier: Emerging Scientists Driving Change," the event underscores Mintek’s commitment to fostering innovation among young researchers and scientists under the age of 35.
The Mintek-SCi Symposium component provides a vital platform for emerging researchers, postgraduates, and students under 35 to present and discuss cutting-edge work. The programme will feature keynote addresses by industry leaders, including Mintek's CEO, Dr Molefi Motuku, alongside multiple parallel technical sessions covering critical topics such as Critical Minerals, Unlocking Resources, Energy, Emerging Technologies, and Sustainability & Circular Economy. A dedicated panel discussion will explore "The Road Ahead: Key Focus Areas for the Future of Mineral Research," complemented by poster presentations and networking opportunities. Excellence will be recognised through awards for the best oral and poster presentations.
Complementing the symposium is the exciting new Mintek-SCi Grad Hackathon. This intensive competition challenges teams of young innovators — university students, unemployed graduates, and interns under 35 — to collaboratively develop tangible solutions for pressing real-world problems within a mentored environment. Teams will tackle diverse issues ranging from applying Artificial Intelligence to improve mineral processing efficiency and enhancing sustainable water usage in mining operations, to developing Internet of Things solutions for predictive equipment maintenance and proposing viable renewable energy alternatives for energy-intensive smelting processes. The challenges also extend to broader societal concerns, tasking participants with creating advanced materials for proactive pothole repairs, designing nationwide systems for detecting geological hazards like holings, and engineering secure mine shaft closure systems to improve community safety.
Highlighting the vision behind the expanded event, Mintek CEO Dr Molefi Motuku stated, "Mintek is opening its doors and resources through Mintek-SCi 2025 to empower the next generation of leaders. We are challenging our young scientists and engineers: bring us your most innovative ideas, your disruptive technologies for both complex industry processes and the everyday issues affecting our nation. We believe unleashing this potential is key to driving progress and securing a prosperous future for South Africa."
"Mintek-SCi is more than just an event; it's a strategic investment in the future," added Dr Khuthadzo Mudzanani, Mintek-SCi 2025 Chair, herself a participant in the inaugural event of 2024. "By combining the Symposium and the Grad Hackathon, we are creating a dynamic space where the bright, emerging scientists South Africa needs can share research, directly apply their skills to challenges that matter, and foster innovation with agility and purpose." The event aims to strengthen the ecosystem connecting research, development, and industry application.