By Sharon Masgie

May 24, 2017 - The CSIRO has released a technology roadmap to increase the growth of Australia’s mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector.

The Mining Equipment, technology and services Roadmap – created in conjunction with the METS Ignited Industry Growth Centre, government, industry and researchers – identifies the role the METS sector will play in Australia’s innovation landscape to address global mining challenges and metal supplies.

The five key growth opportunities the roadmap highlights are: data driven mining decisions; social and environmental sustainability; exploration under cover; advanced extraction; and mining automation and robotics.

These opportunities will also require new technology development, as well as changes to skills, culture, collaboration, processes and business models in order to be successful.

CSIRO chief executive Dr Larry Marshall said the roadmap was a great example of the CSIRO’s Strategy 2020 Customer First Work, which aims to align the the organisation’s science to Australia’s needs.

“In a sense we use science to anticipate the future and help us navigate to a better outcome,” he said.

“METS is an important Australian sector and a global leader, but it can’t rely on past successes in a rapidly changing global landscape.

“The sector must continue to innovate and take advantage of enabling technologies and new business models which are causing disruption across industries.”

CSIRO has also partnered with METS Ignited on the METS Sector Competitiveness Plan, which highlights strategies to improve the sector over the next 10 years.

“Mining productivity is increasingly dependent on integrating specialist technologies such as real-time sensors, mineral analysers and complex data, and the METS sector is vital in shaping mining’s future,” Jonathan Law, CSIRO mineral resources director said.

“Collaboration will be key to success, which is why we’re working with METS and mining companies, as well as organisation such as METS Ignited and Austmine to develop and accelerate the commercialisation of new advanced technologies.”