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With a background in Condensed Matter Physics and Nanotechnology, Karla Marina Jaimes Merazzo has transitioned from materials science to sustainable mining solutions. Karla’s expertise in EU projects led her to lead WP6 in the DINAMINE project, where she explores digitalization, real-time data monitoring, and AI-driven life cycle assessments to optimize mining processes.

Her work focuses on developing a “digital brain” (ISP-PM)—a smart, interconnected system that integrates real-time LCA data to support sustainable decision-making in mining operations. Through DINAMINE, Karla has gained new insights into the potential of digital transformation in the sector, reinforcing the role of technology and innovation in making mining more efficient and environmentally responsible.

Discover more by reading her interview!

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Tell us about yourself 

I am a researcher with a PhD in Condense Matter Physics and Nanotechnology, with specialization on magnetic nanostructures and nanodevices, spintronics, and smart magnetic materials. I have come a long way to get here. I got my bachelor’s degree in physics at the University of Costa Rica, got my master’s degree and PhD in Madrid, and then I did several postdoctoral research in Grenoble-France; Lisbon-Portugal; Braga-Portugal and then I became a more senior researcher in Bilbao-Spain. In between I created a start up together with two colleagues in Bilbao, and I have been teaching at the University of Costa Rica for some years also, here I have been a tenured professor. Before getting my PhD, I worked as research assistant, at the Center for Research in Atomic, Nuclear and Molecular Sciences, and Center for Research in Materials Science and Engineering, both from the University of Costa Rica; and I did an internship at Ad Astra Rocket Company in Costa Rica. These first steps as a researcher molded my future path. Here at SINTEF, I am a senior researcher, and it has been amazing to work with such a multidisciplinary team. We are focused on sustainability assessments, circular economy and green transformation, both in industry and research. 

What inspires you about working in the DINAMINE project? Tell us about your role as a Work Package leader.

I didn’t have experience in the mining industry, nor life cycle assessments, but I have several years of experience working on EU projects, this is why I am leading WP6. As a WP leader on DINAMINE, I have learned about both topics, and I have to say that it is fascinating. I have the opportunity to work very closely with the technical team and learn directly from them. The tools we have to switch from traditional industry to a sustainable one went beyond my expertise. I am majoring in Material Science and I was not fully aware that I could use all my expertise for transformation towards a more sustainable world. For example, the development of sensors to get real-time values, to feed them to a digital tool (ISP-PM), which can provide information regarding the geological and mining processes, or the composition of the waste and tailing rocks, or all the information we can have to provide a real-time carbon footprint and life cycle assessment. Also, the development of laser technology to perform chemical characterization of the rock in-situ. In DINAMINE I have been learning about all this with a very applied research project, and it has been eye-opening on how to use different research fields for the mining industry. I didn’t know how much room technical innovation is in the mining sector can how much a multidisciplinary team can achieve. Also, I was not aware that mining can be sustainable or develop in such a way that the technologies can provide sustainable solutions. 

Can you walk us through the work already completed and planned in your Work Package? 

The WP has different levels that are related to the LCA, which are: goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment and interpretation. The first one has been completed, and it is closely related to the objectives of the project, therefore they are aligned.  The inventory analysis is also mostly done. This is the section that deals with all the information related to the mining site’s environmental impact, therefore data management is a huge work that needs to perform in a very careful way, since the LCA depends on this data. The data gathering is an endless work, since it might be anything left behind. These are sections that need to be revisited from time to time, mostly once the LCA is being carried out. The impact analysis and interpretation are also a dynamic step, in the sense that you must go back to the beginning to adjust and tune the data. This step has started, but it is in progress. 

How do you envision the future of sustainable mining in Europe?  

Now that I understand better the mining industry, and all the work that it has been under development, I am more optimistic. Nevertheless, a lot of work still needs to be done to provide more sustainable and greener solutions. Through the marketing analysis, I have been learning about all the projects related to mining in Europe, which are much higher than I expected. Digitalization plays a crucial role in all these transformations, and understanding all the supply chain and the value chain provides the essential information to know where to become innovative. I am more optimistic about the mining sector worldwide, since Europe is playing an important role in the investment of resources to take the leap and teach with the examples on how to more towards a more digitalized and smart technological sectors. 

What outcomes are you aiming for with DINAMINE? 

From DINAMINE project, I aim to have a digital brain (ISP-PM) that is very well-connected to all the modules, which I see them as smart modules The smart data that is being shared in an optimized way so the mining sites can get the information they need to make the proper decisions in a short period of time, so there are not too much loses, or environmental footprint. A crucial module is the Life Cycle Assessment, that will be able to provide dynamic data about the resources used in the mining site and their environmental impacts. With this information, the mining managers can also make quick decisions with less negative impacts. Also, the managers of the mining sites can consider the whole picture in a holistic way so they can decide which are the actions/options/products/fuel that are more sustainable.