The Australian mining industry faces some significant challenges over productivity and sustainability (social licence to operate). Decreasing ore grades, deeper mines, higher input costs and complex regulation have all contributed to declining productivity and hence reducing our global competitive advantage. The mining industry needs to also maintain the confidence of the communities in which they operate around health, safety and environmental management.
Australia 3.0 in 2014 will embark on an ambitious process to drive the innovation agenda in Australia aligned to the Mining industry priorities. The outcome will be to generate innovation ideas via new partnerships to continue the work begun last year on common goals and a shared commitment to address key business issues facing the Australian and global mining industry.
The key element of this year’s Australia 3.0 Mining program is to identify and prioritise the key challenges facing the mining sector post the recent ‘mining boom’. New ideas will be developed to address these challenges and that take advantage of disruptive ICT for enabling virtual working across the minerals value chain.
Specific focus areas will be chosen leading up to the event to maximise the opportunity for traction around compelling value propositions in areas such as:
- Sustainability – health, safety, environment and community (HSEC)
- Critical infrastructure – managing networked assets such as conveyor belts, train lines, roads, pipelines, power, telecommunications
- Innovation – life cycle innovation from idea to commercialisation
Particular emphasis will be on how improvements in these areas will also lead to significant improvements in productivity and so be sustained over time.
Based on prior years of Australia 3.0 debates, participants will be drawn from a broad cross section of the mining sector with both ICT and Mining backgrounds. This is a collaborative effort involving many stakeholders in which the underlying common element is the role of ICT in driving innovation in the mining sector.
Australia 3.0 Mining Stream Leader
Colin Farrelly
Register your interest to participate in Australia 3.0 and identify your area of interest via the Get Involved form
Register for the Virtual Roundtable via register@australia30.com.au
