Image: Hitachi.
Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. has launched the "LANDCROS Innovation Studios Mining Challenge," a project which solicits ideas from startup companies around the world. This year's challenge will target the field of mining,
Under the "LANDCROS Innovation Studios Mining Challenge," Hitachi Construction Machinery will solicit ideas from startup companies across the following three mining-related challenge themes: Smarter Machines; Smarter Mine Sites; and Low Impact & Sustainable Mining.
Hitachi Construction Machinery will select approximately three companies per theme up to a total of 10 companies from among the applicant companies. Successful applicants will be invited to a pitch event to be hosted on April 16, 2026, at the event venue in Brisbane, Australia.
One company will ultimately be selected as the winner for each theme, and Hitachi Construction Machinery plans to collaborate with the selected companies. This project will be jointly implemented together with London-headquartered Founders Factory, a global tech accelerator and venture studio with extensive knowledge and experience in scaling innovation across mining and industry.
LANDCROS Innovation Studios is a "forum for collaborative innovation" to accelerate ties with startup companies and the creation of new businesses that Hitachi Construction Machinery is expanding globally. Its goal is to function not only as a physical location but as an ecosystem where Hitachi Construction Machinery's Group companies, customers, startup companies, and challengers from various industries intersect and jointly create future forms of value.
The current "LANDCROS Innovation Studios Challenge" is one representative initiative as an open innovation project in which Hitachi Construction Machinery collaborates with external startup companies for the purpose of developing next-generation solutions.
The "Hitachi Construction Machinery Challenge 2024" solicited ideas regarding the development of connected construction machinery and received applications from 127 companies around the world. Hitachi Construction Machinery is currently collaborating with the three winning companies.
The application deadline is January 20, 2026. More information is here.