The conference program for Asia Pacific’s International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX), taking place at the Sydney Showgrounds from September 5-7, has just been released, with over 25 leaders from resources, minerals processing, METS and policy sectors set to feature at Australia’s longest-running mining event.
Each day of the three-day conference will address a specific theme. Day one covers decarbonisation in mining, one of the biggest topics for the industry currently. The opening day will have panel discussions featuring leaders from METS Ignited, Australian Hydrogen Council, ISN and the International Copper Association Australia.
John Fennell, CEO of the International Copper Association Australia, says the conference comes at a critical time for the resources sector.
He said: “The world’s move to electrification has compounded supply and demand issues across industry. There are key technologies that will help us to move forward with higher operational efficiency and lower emissions, but in order to implement these technologies industry-wide we need to talk about them as an industry first.”
Day two will cover technical innovation, with a keynote from Nathan Kirchner of Robotics Australia Group, plus panel discussions with academic experts from the University of Newcastle and UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute, and contributions from Accenture, CR Powered by Epiroc and Fleet Space Technologies.
The final day of the conference will focus on the hot-button topic of ESG, with speakers discussing renewable integration, the circular economy and leveraging technology.
Associate Professor, Liza Forbes, from UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute is speaking as part of two panels at the conference, and notes the importance of industry collaboration and conversation.
Dr Forbes said: “One of the biggest barriers to industry collaboration is that systemic incentives for academic work are often not in step with industry needs, resulting in siloed operations. It is vital for academic research to build and maintain industry relevance by staying abreast of the common problems that industry encounters and the solutions that are sought for such problems.
“By coming together at events like AIMEX, we open important channels for discussion and collaboration that work towards removing those knowledge silos.”
The conference runs alongside the AIMEX exhibition, where over 250 national and international exhibitors will be present. New features of the exhibition this year include the Transformative Technology Pavilion and the Decarbonisation Zone, further emphasising the importance of technology innovation and decarbonisation to the industry’s future.
AIMEX Exhibition Director, Samantha Martin, says this is no coincidence, and the focus reflects industry trends and attendee feedback across multiple events.
She said: “We aim to make our events both a gathering place for the industry at all points of the supply and value chain, and a launching pad to move industry discussions forward into a sustainable future. I’m excited about the conference program at this year’s AIMEX, with plenty of content for attendees from engineers to management, consultants, decision makers and suppliers.”
International Mining is a media sponsor of AIMEX. More information here.