As the global demand for critical minerals intensifies, the scientific community is looking toward Earth’s most extreme environments—and beyond—to find sustainable solutions. On December 5–6, MIRORES CEO Jakub Ciążela, representing the Institute of Geological Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences, delivered an invited plenary lecture at the 23rd Swiss Geoscience Meeting and the 7th Swiss Geologists Day.
Beyond Earth’s limits
The lecture, titled “From oceanic depths to extraterrestrial frontiers: sustainable resource exploration within Earth’s planetary boundaries,” addressed the urgent need for a new era of resource management. Jakub Ciążela explored the parallels between deep-ocean mining and space resource extraction, emphasizing that both must be conducted with a rigorous awareness of planetary boundaries.
Cross-Environment innovations
A key message of the presentation was that insights gained from exploring extreme environments—such as the seafloor and planetary surfaces—are essential for the future of the industry. These frontiers challenge us to develop sharper data, more precise tools, and better decision-making frameworks that can eventually lead to more responsible and sustainable supply chains back on Earth.
Acknowledgments
MIRORES and the Polish Academy of Sciences extend their gratitude to the organizers for the warm welcome and excellent coordination:
- University of Bern (Suzette Timmerman and Francesca Piccoli)
- SCNAT – Swiss Academy of Sciences
- CHGEOL – Schweizer Geologen Verband (Swiss Association of Geologists)
By bridging the gap between deep-sea exploration and space resources, MIRORES continues to lead the conversation on how high-tech geology can secure the minerals of tomorrow without compromising our planetary limits.
