The Role of Innovation at Maptek

Maptek Founder, Dr. Bob Johnson, has long been an innovator in the mining software industry. While we are celebrating his recent recognition as an Innovation Hero by Sydney University’s Warren Center for Advanced Engineering, that distinction certainly comes as no surprise to any of us at Maptek. Bob’s vision and forward-thinking approach has been the cornerstone of Maptek’s success and our products like Vulcan and I-Site are testament to his innovative spirit.

Bob’s focus on innovation was a driving force behind his decision to create Vulcan some 29 years ago. Through conversations with customers and colleagues, as well as his keen knowledge of the industry, he identified the need for a mining specific 3D modeling tool and set out to build what ultimately became Vulcan. At the time, there was little precedent for a tool like Vulcan, but Bob has always had an uncanny understanding for what customers need – even if they sometimes don’t know themselves. Bob is fond of saying “the customers run Maptek” and the fact that he has been recognized as an Innovation Hero is proof that being innovative, while serving the needs of customers, is a recipe for success.

That guiding principle of innovating to serve our customers is at the heart of what Maptek is all about. We strive to deliver products that improve the “work quality of life” for our customers; in short, we innovate to make our customers’ lives easier. This partnership with our customers has driven us to continue to improve Vulcan and to develop other industry-leading technology and systems like I-Site and MineSuite. We invest heavily in research and development, hire the best and brightest engineers and scientists, and challenge them every day to drive innovation for our customers.

With that in mind, I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to share your needs with me. What kind of things would you like to see in our industry? What are some issues you are dealing with?  Please feel free to contact me directly at ceo@maptek.com.