The global mining industry is gearing up for its first-ever mining tech exhibition in an operating underground mine, to celebrate the innovations that are fundamentally reshaping the sector.

With emerging tech companies at the forefront of rapid advances in areas such as automation, digitisation and electrification, the Mining Transformed event has been designed to provide a platform for such companies to showcase their wares to potential customers and investors.

Live demonstrations of technologies that are poised to change the industry – as well as talks and round-table discussions involving various thought leaders – are among the drawcards of the unique four-day event, to be held in the Canadian province of Ontario in September.

Organisers say sophisticated investors and private equity and venture capital firms will attend the exhibition, on the hunt for potential investment opportunities in a global mining market worth US$2.06 trillion and forecast to reach US$3.36 trillion by 2026.

With most of the world’s mines using legacy technology, and productivity improvements ever harder to obtain, such opportunities may lie in the ‘future fields’ of artificial intelligence, big data, automated drilling and tunnel-boring systems, autonomous vehicles and smart sensors.

By enabling the mines of tomorrow to become less visible, more compact, and to use less water and energy, these advances also promise to reduce the sector’s impact on the environment.

One Australian company doing just that in the mining tech space is Brisbane-based Connec.

After years of R&D, the company is on the verge of scaling production of a world-first range of high-voltage cable connectors for use with heavy industrial equipment, including in mining and tunnelling.

Not only does its tech render legacy products obsolete, Connec’s polymer HVCS is the only connector to integrate data transmission and electricity into the one cable system, meaning safety is enhanced and the risk of ignition of leaking gas is eliminated.

With patents in place and a global addressable market of A$4.4 billion, Connec is looking to expand its reach into more of mining giant Anglo American’s mines, followed by a broader global rollout.

To stay up to date with Connec news and announcements, register your details here.

Reach Markets have been engaged by Connec Limited and may receive fees for its services.

Sources:

• Mining Transformed, Unearthing Innovation 
• Business Research Company, Mining Global Market Report 2022
• connec.com.au, The new way to connect medium voltage systems