Austmine’s mining innovation conference and exhibition is set for Adelaide from May 9–11.
Innovation gurus, technology experts and industry leaders are set to descend on Adelaide for the Austmine 2023 conference and exhibition May 9–11 , where they will discuss the future of the mining industry through a technology and innovation lens.
Austmine’s biennial conference has become a leading innovation event for the global mining industry. With the theme ‘Transforming our future’, the conference will focus on leading-edge technologies, open innovation and forward-thinking strategies aimed at transforming how mining operates.
Principal sponsor BHP will headline the list of industry speakers, with chief operating officer Edgar Basto to give the opening keynote. BHP Olympic Dam asset president Jennifer Purdie will also participate and address the audience at the Copper to the World Conference, which is being run in conjunction with Austmine 2023.
Basto and Purdie will be joined by Devesh Baijnath, Vice-President Innovation for Minerals America, who will travel from Chile to join Copper to the World and discuss the exciting technology projects that BHP is undertaking in South America.
With ambitious 2030 decarbonisation targets declared across the mining industry, an exciting panel discussion at the Austmine conference will address the critical building blocks and key levers we have to achieve our targets in 2030 and beyond.
Australia’s chief scientist, Cathy Foley, will join the conversation along with other key industry leaders including ASX independent non-executive director Jacqui McGill, Minerals Council of Australia chief executive officer (CEO) Tania Constable, and Pembroke Resources chairman and CEO Barry Tudor.
Hindustan Zinc CEO and director Arun Misra will also join the panel, bringing an international perspective to this important topic and reflecting on what is happening in his home country of India.
How the industry harnesses mega-trends in technology in order to capitalise on opportunities, while at the same time changing the image of the sector, will feature in discussions at the end of day one.
Enrico Palermo, head of the Australian Space Agency, and Christine Eriksen from Atlas Iron will be part of a panel looking at applications of technologies beyond mining and into new frontiers such as space.
Other speakers addressing mega-trends and the bleeding edge of technology will include representatives from Hexagon Mining, ABB, Newmont and Boliden, as well as an artificial intelligence (AI) expert from the University of Technology, Sydney.
A new feature of the conference is the interactive breakout sessions, or collaboration laboratories (co-labs), which will feature game-changing technology presentations and innovation case studies.
These future-focused sessions are designed to advance collective thinking and aligned commitment to a sustainable future through co-designing a roadmap to transform the mining industry.
Covering topics such as small-footprint mining, carbon-free mining, intelligent mining, water, waste and community, the co-labs will provide a rich platform of exchange to explore the latest thinking from the speakers and those in the room.
Katie Hulmes, OZ Minerals general manager transformation, think and act differently, will be a leading voice during these sessions, which will include speakers from Alfa Laval, Zenith Energy, Gold Fields, FMG, Kal Tire, SICK, Sage Group, Boliden and Antamina.
Open innovation will be another key theme throughout the conference. Attendees will learn about models from speakers who lead innovation and collaboration initiatives in Peru, Canada, India, France and Sweden. Accelerating technology adoption will be discussed by a panel of innovation leaders from Ma’aden, Anglo American, Matrix Data and South32.
The conference exhibition floor will be packed with an exciting array of technology, new solutions and world-first innovations offered by the Australian mining, equipment, technology and services (METS) sector.
A major new feature of Austmine 2023 is an ‘innovation station’, which will be a focal point for international delegations and an opportunity for delegates to hear about key challenges confronting the industry.
Along with METS, miners and key stakeholders from around Australia, the conference is set to be joined by international visitors from Canada, Peru, Chile, the US, India, Saudi Arabia, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea, to name a few.
Austmine 2023, combined with Copper to the World, is a key strategic play to demonstrate Australia’s leadership in mining innovation. Never have there been so many challenges to overcome, and it is only collectively that the industry can lead a positive and proud legacy for generations to come.
This feature also appears in the April edition of Australian Mining.