For many decades resources businesses have been growing a culture in which innovation is the norm, and rather than being cast aside, the sector should be looked upon for inspiration, QRC CEO Michael Roche said.

“We honour our pick and shovel past, but relish the sophistication of emerging innovation now and the promise of evermore business-driven innovation into the future,” he said.

“Last financial year, the resources sector contributed one in every five dollars to the Queensland economy and one in every six jobs.”

According to a recent report by innovation and capital markets expert Robert Bladier, the resources sector has been leading the innovation charge for decades and new ideas would stem from industry cross-pollination.

Roche said while innovation was synonymous with start-ups and technology, cutting-edge ideas cannot be tied to one industry and the true catalyst has been bettering a company’s bottom line.

“Just look at the many innovative examples right here in our own backyard - Google may wow the world with driverless vehicles but Stanwell has had driverless haul trucks operating in its Meandu mine for more than a year,” he said.

“A new technology developed specifically for the resources sector saw Professor Graeme Jameson win the 2016 Prime Minister’s award for innovation– a technology picked up by Queensland’s own Mount Isa Mines and that is estimated to have contributed nearly $100 billion to the country’s economy.”

The Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) sector contributes $90 billion in gross annual revenues to Australia. The commonwealth’s METS centre – METS Ignited - now calls Brisbane and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) home.

QUT is also a partner in the recently launched Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy’s Centre of Excellence for Robotics and Automation in partnership with Alexandra Hills State High School. One of the first of its kind, the centre serves as the incubator to train high school students in applied resources technology and innovation.