“Because Australia’s growth happened so fast, much of our innovation has not yet been integrated within operations,” he said.

“There is enormous opportunity for improved productivity that will come by creating more uniformity and focusing on new processes, services and products that we can share with the world.”

Throughout April and May, together with Austmine, METS Ignited is engaging with industry to discuss key drivers that will impact the sector, such as accelerating the innovation cycle, and develop an industry-led Sector Competitiveness Plan.

METS Ignited chair Elizabeth Lewis-Gray, said: “Our sector engagement process is identifying a number of immediate areas to be addressed. One of those gaps is the lack of pilot facilities for researchers and METS companies to trial and prove their product, and the value-add it will bring to mining productivity.”

“METS Ignited will be working on the scope of living labs over the next six months such as virtual or pilot mines where METS companies can showcase their capabilities and innovation to miners, and close the chasm in commercialising innovation,” she said.

The plan will identify challenges and opportunities facing the industry and will outline strategies to accelerate the productivity and competitiveness of the METS sector. It will focus on key themes of collaboration and commercialisation, access to global supply chains, and skills and workforce development.