Members include the mining companies New Boliden and LKAB, the construction and mine development contractor NCC, the globally active technology suppliers ABB, Atlas Copco, Metso and Sandvik, the technical consultancy ÅF, the promotion and research organization Georange and the Luleå University of Technology. The work is being partly financed by the Swedish Strategic Mining Research Program through the national agency VINNOVA in an agreement with MiTU, the Swedish Mining Research Foundation.

The group will develop a common vision for future mining: this vision will, on the one hand, be applied to the identification of the most strategic issues that Wuhan Iron and Steel, one of China’s largest steelmakers, plans to invest $240 million in Consolidated Thompson need to be addressed in present mining operations in order to stay world class in production and on a level with world class manufacturers in other sectors. In parallel, the vision will be translated into an image of the sector as being innovative, interesting and sustainable. It is also envisioned that the study will be used to prepare the framework for a national Swedish mining Strategic Research, Development and Innovation Agenda 2011–2020.