CAPE TOWN – If you think images of blackened, sweaty miners wearing head torches and canaries in cages being sent down first look a little out of date wait for the outcomes of this week’s meeting in Cape Town that has been billed as “imagining the digital mine of the future”.
Many in the beleaguered industry will be watching hopefully as 15 members of the SAP advisory council for mining meet for two days of in-depth discussions.
A statement from SAP, the software giant, said the discussions would focus on the processes and technologies that will support and drive the digital mine of the future.
The advisory council for mining is an international group of representatives from key mining organisations established 15 years ago. This is the third time that the global group, which meets once a year in a country where mining is a key industry, has met in South Africa.
As in many other sectors, mining companies see technology as a key enabler in reinventing their businesses into more efficient ones that are capable of sustainable growth. They look to tech not only for advances in safety, health, environment, risk and quality but also to improve relationships with workers and communities, shareholders and other stakeholders.
A wide range of digital technology will be discussed at the meeting, including the Internet of Things, cloud computing, Big Data, enterprise mobility, autonomy, geosensing, analytics and 3D printing.