The Mount Isa Mining Innovation Forum was open to the community and sought to identify opportunities for local growth and innovation. 

Individuals, local businesses, council and other aspiring entrepreneurs networked with mining technology companies and their founding entrepreneurs from Australia, Chile and the US.

Mining Leaders Group managing director Brett Cunningham addressed the forum and said ‘we’re currently at the front end of a golden era’. 

However Mr Cunningham said unfortunately due to the fast-paced nature of daily life some companies and businesses are at risk of not grasping the full benefits of this change. 

Brett said the forum was important to raise awareness in regional  communities about the technologies which are available, to ensure they can stay on the ‘front foot’ of the future. 

This will then create jobs,  make the work safer and ensure sustainable production.

Mr Cunningham said many mining companies had experienced growth through the advancement and incorporation of technology, such as artificial intelligence and automation. 

The forum enabled individuals to learn about the new technologies and how best to apply them. 

“This is a unique time for businesses and communities both inside and outside of mining to accelerate their growth and innovate,” Mr Cunningham said. 

Representatives from mining technology start-ups including miiFile, iCompLii, Deftec and Cardbored each addressed the forum to share their insights into how they identified opportunity for their businesses.

This sparked a discussion amongst attendees on opportunities to assist local innovation.

Garry Thomas is the entrepreneur behind the company Deftec. 

It’s a new machine learning technology which has the power to process real time data.

Garry’s technology works alongside an existing control system. 

He said it will benefit mining companies by providing data on product conditions, quality and ensure safety for employees. 

Mr Cunningham said people should not be skeptical of advancements in innovation. 

“Throughout time, we can see that on average technology helps create more jobs, rather than displace them,” he said.