WA MINING 2023: TECHNOLOGY DRIVING TOMORROW
October 17, 2023
With a bigger-than-ever roster of exhibitors and a packed conference schedule, the 2023 WA Mining Conference and Exhibition engaged exhibitors and attendees, encouraging up-close and personal conversations and connections.
Over two days last week at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, over 100 suppliers and over 60 conference speakers gathered to discuss the industry’s future, which is beyond a doubt driven by technology.
The conference, sponsored by Epiroc, covered important ground in the technical and digital evolution of the mining industry, with a focus on critical minerals, industry outlook, and digital and autonomous systems. From an opening keynote by Rebecca Tomkinson, CEO of the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia to thought-provoking case studies by Sarah Coleman of idoba and Matt Tichon of Amazon Web Services, attendees were given plenty to think about when it comes to the future demand and direction of Australian minerals.
David Parker, Executive Director Western Australia for the Minerals Council of Australia, gave a keynote on Day 2 of the conference as well as leading a panel. For Mr Parker, the forthcoming demand of Australia’s critical minerals – particularly lithium, cobalt and nickel – is a significant challenge but also an opportunity not to be missed.
“Australian raw materials are in enormous demand. What we’re seeing now is the focus of the industry towards net zero, and Australian minerals and metals play an important role in the transition. Australia has the geological inventory and there is a huge pent-up global demand forecast – so business as usual is not an appropriate strategy. Australian mining projects are very complex, requiring coordination between governments, companies, and communities. If we’re going to meet s challenge and benefit from the world’s net zero moves, we need to focus on genuine participation across all levels of the supply chain to achieve that outcome.”
Complementing the big-picture thinking in the conference was the practical and technology-focuthised free-to-attend exhibition presented by event partner AWS, which maintained a strong buzz across the 2-day event. Exhibitors spanned the full spectrum of technology-focused businesses, from start-ups local to Perth to global businesses like Google, AWS, Adobe, Voith Turbo and Epiroc.
Blake Burgeth, VP Pacific Industry Sales for Voith Turbo, says their company’s position in the Decarbonisation Zone reflects a similar changing approach to the industry, providing digital solutions as value-adds to complement existing products.
“Over our two days at WA Mining, we’ve interacted with the full spectrum from grassroots start-ups to well-established businesses like ours, all here to network and use this opportunity to keep up to date with technology changes. Elements like big data and AI aren’t just buzzwords, they’re here and now. The mining industry isn’t always the quickest to adapt, so events like these are important to stay with the times and accelerate our presence in the market to connect with emerging technology.”
Also in the Decarbonisation Zone was Commodore Australia + Unique Hire and Sales WA with their eye-catching off-grid containerised solar unit. Linden Howells, Head of Design and Engineering for Commodore Australia, says WA Mining was valuable for them in terms of showcasing their product to clients who require off-grid solutions in remote mine site locations.
“We’ve seen a huge push to move away from burning diesel and other fuels to provide power on-site, to the obvious focus on renewables throughout the industry. Our off-grid solar solutions can power up remote areas, solving the problem of grid connection and the use of diesel at the same time. We’ve found that by bringing one of our off-grid units to our stand, we’ve had some great face-to-face conversations that just wouldn’t be as simple over email or the phone.”
CR Powered by Epiroc took full advantage of the exhibition’s foot traffic from major mining companies, decision-makers and potential partners, exhibiting alongside parent company Epiroc.
“It’s always great to come to these events to see what’s new in the mining world, to build relationships and make new connections. We’re seeing the emphasis on sustainability, safety and reducing emissions through technology coming through from our key customers, which aligns well with our solutions to help miners mine more sustainably, more efficiently and protect their workers along the way,” said Hannah Sabih, Global Marketing Manager.
Similarly, Jean Ferreira, Managing Director of RaptorTech, says his company’s exposure to both decision-makers and fellow suppliers during WA Mining has been exponentially valuable.
“For us, this event is an important platform to get our company and brand out there, and even launch a new product, our Perceptn Collision Avoidance system. Over the last few years, we’ve really noted a shift in the industry away from the dominance of large corporations to embracing smaller, innovative, and faster-moving suppliers. At WA Mining, we’ve had opportunities to get our fingers directly on the pulse of where technology in mining is heading.”
WA Mining Conference and Exhibition Event Director Samantha Martin says the event clearly addresses a niche yet growing space in technology for the mining industry.
“From the robust discussions at the conference to the clear excitement of the exhibition floor, WA Mining Conference and Exhibition was a substantial step for the industry towards a sustainable future based on technological advances. To reach ambitious net zero targets, we’ll need to work together – so coming together at industry events is more important than ever.”
The WA Mining Conference and Exhibition will return to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2024 on October 9-10.