Mining tech industry project funding announced

METS Ignited has announced $7.14 million in funding to eight METS companies and their partners to progress innovative projects in the METS and mining sectors. The recipients were formally announced and congratulated at a special event at Core Innovation Hub in Perth last week with Senator Michaelia Cash, Minister for Jobs and Innovation.

The funding is part of the METS Ignited Collaborative Project Funds which supports industry-led projects to improve the productivity, competitiveness and innovative capacity in the METS sector. The announcement by Senator Cash related to the second round of funding, which closed in 2017.

The recipients are:

• IMDEX: For technology enabling the collection of real-time data during blasthole drilling, and therefore producing more efficient blast designs.
• The University of Western Australia: For the establishment of a dedicated Living Lab at UWA to enable METS companies to trial their technologies and to demonstrate performance to mining companies without the difficulty and expense of testing on mine sites.
• Manufacturing Intelligence: To provide software to remove the constraints in moving data from one package to another, thus unlocking significant productivity improvements.
• Emapper: A digital platform to enable mining companies to meet their environmental rehabilitation obligations with greater certainty, more detail and at a significantly reduced cost.
• Energetique Mining Vehicles: For the development of battery electric vehicles for underground mining.
• Qtec: To develop sensors and instrumentation for drilling, similar to those used in the oil and gas industry.
• Resolution Systems: For the development of fleet management software.
• Micronised Mineral Systems: For a new process for treating residual water on mine sites so it is environmentally benign.
   

A third round of funding is now open, with companies able to submit applications for the $6 million allocation until 31 August 2018.

To read more about eligibility and criteria, click here.