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Mining Transformed 2024 was an excellent showcase bringing together the “buyers” and “builders” of technology – serving as the global one-stop shop for all that is the future of mining.  The event brought together industry leaders, experts, and visionaries from across the globe to share insights and drive innovation.

This year, there were 47 trailblazing technologies from AI, automation, robotics, remote sensing, solar and energy storage, data analytics and eco-friendly mining techniques – incorporating live demonstrations in an operating underground mine. It truly was a one-of-a-kind experience. Some of the companies we connected with include:  Tesman, Coolon, Sandvik, Hexagon, Point Laz, Ideon, Circuit IQ, 6 Harmonics, SK Godelius, Becker Varis and The Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation.

The AARP team also attended the BEV-in-Depth conference, learning about cross-sectoral collaboration from businesses driving innovation in the automotive, battery, green energy, mining, and mineral processing as well as the various allied supply and services companies. The strong local and state government support was evident, with Ontario playing a leadership role in the development of battery technology, investment and innovation.

AARP National Lead, Tamryn Barker joined a panel session at the event titled: The rapid development of automation in the mining sector – alongside Hatch and Hexagon and facilitated by Norcat. There were several interesting insights shared by the panel including the role of innovation infrastructure, the development and adoption of automation in mining as well as key challenges during implementation.

In addition to attending the above events, the AARP team also ran a stakeholder session with local and global technology companies and innovators in attendance at Mining Transformed. It was a great opportunity to share the AARP vision and delve into the Precinct offerings as well as a unique opportunity to gain insights around technology development challenges, the appetite to access the Australian market, and the role of the local ecosystem and innovation infrastructure to enable growth.

Attendees included MST Global, Hexagon, Maclean Engineering, LoopX, Mandela Mining Precinct, Point Laz, Aramine, Communitech, OVIN Ontario, Tesman and more. A huge thank you to the Norcat team for your support in hosting the group on the day – we could not have done it without you! Key takeaways included the real-world environment, capacity for rapid prototyping and close iteration with the customer, value of an integrated ecosystem which includes access to funding, culture of open innovation.

A visit to the Maclean Engineering facility on the last day was a fantastic way to wrap up the week, connecting with the team and witnessing first hand the various automated vehicles and technologies on site.

All in all, it was an inspiring (and memorable!) trip to Sudbury, Ontario – having made some incredible connections, plus the sense of community and collaboration which underpinned a lot of the success in the region.