• Critical Minerals Act – Where we are at and where we are heading.
• Debating the importance of innovation and technology to promote critical minerals independence across the supply value chain.

• Deploying machine learning models and AI across the mining and metals supply and value chain. 
• Understanding the concerns and fears of AI within your organisation.
• Change Management - Addressing how organisations and individuals can adapt to changes due to AI deployment.
• Fostering a positive mindset towards AI integration.
• Debating strategies to make AI more accessible and understandable.

• Discovering the R&D structure at Arcelor Mittal  
• Understanding how this is deployed in mining operations 
• Exploring real-life AI deployment in the organisation  
• Discussing challenges and how to tackle them 

This session will focus on how the idea of Boliden Edge Lab came to be and why it was a necessary step for Boliden to accelerate its AI journey.

• Understanding how to avoid the status quo despite not knowing what the future looks like.
• Looking at Boliden Edge Lab’s role in terms of different industrial eras.
• Assessing how Boliden Edge Lab has made Boliden an attractive partner with which to collaborate.
   

• Discussing current challenges facing the industry such as lower ore grades, knowledge loss, net-zero goals, and the energy transition.  
• Assessing how engineers are using everything from keen hearing to detect bearing failures to first-principles engineering for calculating heat transfers, to statistical analysis for process control, and now AI to enhance human capabilities and speed up data analysis.  
• Exploring the journey from traditional techniques to cutting-edge AI solutions. 
• Highlighting how industry leaders are overcoming these challenges.  
• Discovering the exciting potential of AI in mining. 
• Looking at real-world examples of how it's transforming the lives of plant professionals 

We have chosen three start-ups that will present their innovative solutions for the mining industry.

1)  Finding the Problem Statement - Value Creation from Digitalisation in Mining
•    Discussing data & digitalisation as a tool in the context of the characteristics of mining
•    Highlighting why value creation from digitalisation is a mining rather than an IT challenge
•    Exploring the emergent design approach to address digitalisation in mining as a user- & human-centric challenge

Speaker: Stefan Ebert, Founder, Digital Mining Technologist

2)    Open-Access Knowledge Base Covering the Ins and Outs of Using Sensors to Scan Ores
•    Mining companies are increasingly adopting sensor-based ore sorting and process optimization, using tools for drill hole logging, conveyor belt scanning, and slurry analysis.
•    Sensors rely on technology to detect material properties like color, density, and mineralogy, but are limited by factors like mineral concentration and ore composition heterogeneity.
•    Due to the uniqueness of each ore deposit, there is no universal sensor solution, making it challenging for mining professionals to find the right technology for their specific ore types.
 

• Discovering case studies showcasing successful AI implementations  
• Exploring common challenges, ethical dilemmas, and potential risks encountered during AI adoption, and learn how to navigate them effectively. 
• Lessons Learned: Gain insights from real-world experiences, including what worked well and what didn't. 
• Future Directions: Discuss emerging trends and future directions in AI. 

•    Data Challenge: Companies have invested in data systems (sensors, control systems) but struggle to convert data into real value.
•    Current State: Most rely on dashboards for visualization, not for improving performance.
•    AI for Optimisation: Use cases show AI can improve operations, optimize yields, grades, energy, and productivity.
•    Environmental Benefits: AI-driven optimization often leads to reduced environmental impacts.
•    Trust is Crucial: Success depends on operators trusting AI tools for effective process control.
•    Future of Mining: Industry at a pivotal point; AI solutions can prescribe actions, deliver results, and build trust with the workforce.
•    Call to Action: Now is the time to invest in AI that goes beyond data display to actionable insights and real-world results.

• Assess unsupervised machine-learning 
• Understanding automatic detection and classification of seismic events 
• Looking at continuous ambient-noise (AN) recordings 
• Explore dataset from a large-number (large-N) array 

Each round table is given a different topic, and attendees select the round table they want to participate in. Round table leaders spend the first 15 minutes meeting the delegates and providing a case study/lessons learned log/industry update. This is followed by a 30-minute discussion moderated by the roundtable leader with the group, during which they can give feedback and ask questions. The final 10 –15 minutes are dedicated to agreeing on 3 -5 industry recommendations. These recommendations will be made available to attendees in the post-event report.   
    

• Change Management and Digital Transformation – Discussing challenges and opportunities.
• Data, Data, Data: Developing data analytics capabilities to boost mining productivity.
• Cloud Strategy: Transforming mining operations with the cloud.
   

• Understanding the opportunities and what is essential for investors in their investment decisions.
• Looking at current trends and future developments in mining exploration. 
• Assessing challenges for investors and how to tackle them.
• Calculating the risk for investors in the energy transition.
• Looking at the importance of technology in this process.
   

• Understanding what technology is available.
• Integrating emission reduction technologies – Challenges and how to tackle them.
• Downstream reduction – Exploring impacts, challenges, and opportunities for the various stakeholders. 

• Exploring Marine Resources
• Wet Mining – What it is and isn’t and why it matters 
• Evaluating the current technological readiness levels (TRL) for deep-sea mining operations and assessing key challenges 
• Real-World Data Challenges Handling the complexity of deep-sea environments and data collection.
        o    Environmental Considerations: Assessing the environmental impact of deep-sea mining on marine ecosystems.
        o    Operational Strategies: Optimizing operational efficiency in harsh deep-sea conditions.

• Identifying the risks and examining how to mitigate them.
• Understanding the potential adverse impacts across the supply chain.
• Looking at practical case studies and lessons learned.  

• Exploring how the concrete application of digital mining solutions affects global supply chains.
• Analysing “Digital human labor” and the future of AI in the workforce.
• Understanding how digitalisation can lead to better CSR outcomes and what possibilities it creates for workers.

• Understanding the purpose and mission of the project  
• Looking at how the integration was done:  
• From an IT perspective  
• From an Automation perspective  
• Discussing integration hurdles and how to overcome them 
• Lessons learned and opportunities  
• Glancing at the future: IoT, the 4th industrial revolution, and next steps  
   

• Improving cyber resilience across the mining value chain.
• Understanding the application and added value of AI in cybersecurity.  
• Debating potential risks and how to avoid them.
• Discussing how to prepare your team for a potential attack. 

• Introducing the general framework  
• Identifying different technical pillars such as digital technology, sensor technology, automation, 3D simulations, etc.  
• Looking at deployment and integration challenges and how to overcome them  
• Discussing the importance of strategic partnerships 
• Exploring the environmental aspect – How integrating sensors can help with the environmental study and impact   

Each round table is given a different topic, and attendees select the round table they want to participate in. Round table leaders spend the first 15 minutes meeting the delegates and providing a case study/lessons learned log/industry update. This is followed by a 30-minute discussion moderated by the roundtable leader with the group, during which they can give feedback and ask questions. The final 10 –15 minutes are dedicated to agreeing on 3 -5 industry recommendations. These recommendations will be made available to attendees in the post-event report.

• The importance of DEI, leadership, and sustainability for the industry 
  Rob Labbé, Mining and Metals Information Sharing and Analysis Centre
   
• Digital Networks and their importance for both underground and above-ground operations.
  Dr. Masoud S Shishvan, Delft University of Technology