When a supplier claims they can deliver critical metals and minerals, how can buyers be sure they’re telling the truth? In an industry where the stakes are high and supply often uncertain, intelligence matters. Earth-i is able to use its years of expertise to address the issue and is successfully partnering with industry associations to bring that clarity to the critical material industries.
This new level of validation marks a significant step in responsible sourcing, especially for metals and minerals such as copper, nickel and cobalt. With suppliers under greater scrutiny to prove that their fulfilment promises are not fabrications and that their materials are conflict-free, ethically sourced and not the product of illegal or exploitative operations, there is strong demand for independent verification to avoid reputational damage.
Earth-i’s role is to validate that a supplier not only exists, the facility exists in the correct location and is actually operational. Is there a real facility at the address given? Are the buildings showing signs of activity? Is there movement consistent with industrial processes? Are there suitable indicators suggesting smelting, refining or extraction work? Earth-i’s intelligence combines multi-sensor satellite imagery with layers of open-source geospatial intelligence data to verify what’s really happening on the ground currently and historically.
It’s a game-changer for due diligence and provides greater transparency into client supply chains.
When a supplier says, “We can fulfil your order,” Earth-i offers a remote yet precise assessment of whether that’s plausible. This includes the interpretation of time-series data to assess changes over weeks or months. Has a mine suddenly gone offline? Are processing plant expansion plans actually happening? Are there signs of human activity consistent with operations? Questions like this, and more, can be answered by the Earth-i team.
Industry associations, represent hundreds of member companies and are dedicated to proving corporate social responsibility in global supply chains. With Earth-i now offering these highly granular validation services, members can gain a decisive edge in proving and improving the integrity of their sourcing. This approach sets a new benchmark for traceability, one that’s grounded in verifiable evidence from space.
Earth-i is helping companies shift from accepting supplier promises to proactive validation, enabling them to identify risk and confirm legitimacy – and challenge suppliers when necessary. Supply chains are no longer linear or opaque; they’re dynamic, dispersed, and increasingly visible from above. The companies that embrace that visibility will be the ones that thrive.
