I have worked in the mining industry for more than two decades, and in that time, I have seen technology transform the way mines operate. We have made enormous progress in automation, electrification and digitalisation, and I believe the opportunities ahead are even greater. But experience has also taught me that meaningful change rarely happens overnight.
Mining thinks in decades. Mines and processing plants are built to last, with automation and electrical systems evolving throughout their lifetime. Today, however, the pace of change is accelerating. Operators are being asked to improve productivity and efficiency while making operations safer and more sustainable. At the same time, digitalisation, automation and artificial intelligence are creating new possibilities for how mines can be operated.
The ambition across the industry is significant. ABB’s Mining’s Momentresearch found that 53% of mining leaders expect their operations to undergo significant or complete transformation within five years.
The direction of travel is clear. But for existing operations, getting there is not as simple as replacing what is already installed with the latest technology.
That is why I believe we need to think big but start small.
Transform without disrupting production
There is a lot of discussion about the mine of the future, but we cannot lose sight of the operational realities of mining today.
Existing mines contain infrastructure and systems that have been built up over decades. Much of that equipment continues to perform its job effectively. Operators cannot simply stop production, rip everything out and start again.
The challenge is to understand what is working, where the operational constraints are and where modernisation can create the greatest value without introducing unnecessary risk.
This is particularly important when reliability is already under pressure. Our Modernization for Resilience research found that 44% of industrial decision makers experience equipment-related interruptions at least monthly, yet only 55% have a plan to modernise their operations before problems arise. For me, that shows why we need to stop seeing modernisation simply as a response to ageing equipment and start planning for it over the longer term.
We see the same principle in electrification. For a greenfield mine, power, automation and production systems can be considered together from the beginning. At an existing operation, you start from a very different position. There is installed equipment, existing power infrastructure and a production environment that needs to keep running.
This changes the journey, but not the destination. There is enormous potential to improve existing operations by building on the infrastructure and experience already in place.
Start with operational value, not technology
My two decades in mining has made one thing clear: technology should never be implemented simply because it is available. The starting point must always be the operational challenge we are trying to solve.
That means identifying bottlenecks, lost productivity and opportunities for automation or better use of data. Technology should improve performance and help people make faster, better-informed decisions. Once the problem is understood, operators can identify the technologies capable of creating meaningful value.
This is where “think big, start small” becomes important. The long-term ambition might be a highly integrated and increasingly autonomous operation, but that does not mean everything has to change at once.
Start with a clear use case. Demonstrate the value. Learn from it. Then take the next step.
This is not only our view. Deloitte’s 2026 research into digital transformation in mining makes a similar case: focus first on digital projects that can deliver clear value, while keeping sight of where the operation ultimately needs to go. Early successes can demonstrate what works and create momentum for the next step, rather than trying to transform the entire mine at once.
What I find encouraging is that operators do not have to wait for a fully autonomous mine to see the benefits. Each successful step can improve performance today, build confidence in new technology and create momentum for the next improvement.
Build on what works
Modernisation should also recognise an important distinction: existing does not necessarily mean obsolete.
There are many examples across mining where the mechanical asset itself remains robust, but its controls, drives, instrumentation or digital capabilities can be modernised.
We can see this at Bluestone Mines Tasmania’s Renison Tin Mine in Australia. Its main production hoist dates from the 1990s, but rather than replacing the entire asset, the mine is modernising the existing hoist with new control, safety, power-conversion and hydraulic technology. The team also has to work within the limited space available in the existing winder house. The aim is straightforward: improve availability and prepare the hoist for the mine’s next decade of production.
In my opinion, this shows what modernisation should achieve: improving performance and extending the life of proven infrastructure, rather than replacing it simply because something newer exists.
New automation capabilities can be introduced. Operational data can become more visible and usable. Previously separate systems can begin communicating with each other. Over time, the operation becomes more connected and more capable without requiring everything to be replaced simultaneously.
The objective should not be to create the mine with the newest technology. It should be to create a safer, more productive, more sustainable and better-connected operation.
Build the foundations before autonomy
The same principle applies when we talk about artificial intelligence and autonomy.
AI will be extremely important to the future of mining, but it is not something that can simply be deployed everywhere and expected to deliver value. You need the right foundations first. That means reliable automation, connected systems and good quality data. It also means understanding the operation well enough to turn that data into better decisions.
As those foundations mature, the possibilities grow. AI can help people interpret increasingly complex information. Automation can remove people from dangerous parts of the process. Better connected control systems can also help mines respond to changes in production or energy demand.
The opportunity is significant, but autonomy is not a switch that we suddenly turn on. It is something we build towards.
Connect the individual steps
There is, however, a risk with a phased approach.
If every modernisation project is treated as an isolated technology upgrade, operators can simply create a new generation of silos. That is why each individual investment needs to fit into a bigger picture.
Vale’s Conceição II iron ore plant in Brazil shows what this can look like at scale. The operation brings together automation and digital technologies across more than 7,000 automated instruments. Since implementation, the plant has achieved a 25% increase in productivity and a 26% reduction in iron losses in tailings.
The important point is what comes next. Vale intends to use the model plant as a blueprint for extending the approach to other operations. The value is not simply in delivering one successful project. It is in proving what works, building the right foundations and then scaling it.
Mining, processing, electrification, automation and digital systems are becoming increasingly interconnected. We already see this in mine electrification, where the greatest value comes when energy infrastructure, automation and production planning are considered together rather than as separate systems.
The same thinking needs to apply to modernisation.
An automation upgrade can solve today’s production challenges while generating data for future improvements. New electrical infrastructure can support further electrification, while digital projects can connect information across the operation.
But nobody can do this alone. Mining companies understand their operations and production challenges. Technology providers bring expertise from applications and projects around the world. OEMs and other partners bring another part of the picture. We need those capabilities to come together because no company by itself can create the mine of the future in isolation.
Think big, start small – but start now
Mining is going to need to produce more of the minerals required by society while continuing to improve productivity, safety and sustainability.
The IEA expects demand for critical minerals to almost double by 2040 under current policy settings, with copper alone adding around 7 Mt tonnes of demand. At the same time, the current project pipeline points to a potential 25% shortfall in copper supply by 2035.
Meeting growing demand will require new production, but it will also require us to get more from the operations and infrastructure we already have. In many cases, that means finding ways to do more with less.
The mine of the future will not necessarily arrive through one enormous project. It will be built step by step, solving today’s challenges while making operations more connected and capable.
We already have many of the technologies and capabilities needed to make meaningful progress. The opportunity now is to bring them together, build on what works and keep moving forward.
We just do not need to reach that destination in one leap. Think big, start small – but start now.
