Perth event to define what ‘AI-ready’ means for mineral processing

Industry leaders will gather in Perth this November to tackle the question of what being ‘AI-ready’ really means for mineral processing plants, at Mipac’s second Path to Progress event.

This event will bring together plant managers, processing and operations leaders, metallurgists and others to cut through the AI hype, focusing instead on the foundations plants need to have in place before they can reap the full benefits of AI technology.

“Something that we see quite often with our clients is that, whilst there is a keenness to jump into new technology like AI and machine learning, there is also a large gap in knowledge about what structures and processes need to be in place before these technologies can deliver significant value,” says Dominic Stoll, Solutions Manager at Mipac.

To address this gap, the event – titled ‘Get Your Plant AI-Ready: A Guide to AI Foundations in Processing Plants – will cover topics such as:

• Digitisation and standardisation of plant data and systems (and why this is important),
• The role of people, data and mindsets, and
• Real-world lessons learned from piloting AI in mineral processing operations.

Six speakers have already been announced, including:

• Paul Lucey, global leader in mining, energy, robotics and AI
• Matthew Schneider, AI thought leader and strategic advisor
• Iain Murray AM, John Curtain Distinguished Professor
• Rob Johnston, Manager or IS Solutions Delivery at CITIC Pacific Mining and co-chair of the Global Mining Guidelines AI and Data Applications Working Group
• Sophia Marmara, Metallurgy Lead at Northern Star Resources
• Neil Freeman, Innovation expert, Oxford University-trained metallurgist and holder of three mining technology patents
• Elsa Jordaan, Principal at Deployed Analytics, data science leader with 20+ years’ experience building analytics capabilities and embedding AI in energy, resources and finance
• Dr Grant Wellwood, Principal at Wellwood Associates, mineral processing expert and inventor recognised for advancing the application of causal diagramming in mining

Between 2:30pm and 5:30pm, these speakers will take part in fireside chats and panel discussions, with the event taking a relaxed, peer-to-peer approach designed to foster discussion, networking and knowledge sharing.

“We’re very excited to be hosting the second Path to Progress event in Perth this November,” says Mipac Managing Director, Eddie De Rivera. “Our first event in Brisbane in May was a resounding success, and I look forward to bringing together our network of contacts in Western Australia for more productive and thought-provoking discussions on the theme of technology and progress.”

To find out more about the event and purchase tickets, visit the event website.