Machine learning the subject of METS Monday at IMARC

Tuesday, 15 October, 2019

METS Ignited has announced two of the speakers joining the METS Monday workshop line-up as part of this year's IMARC conference. Dr Zygmunt Szpak, from the Australian Institute of Machine Learning, will discuss data analytics and machine learning, and what decisions these tools are helping us respond to. Dr Penny Stewart, from PETRA, will present case studies demonstrating the successful application of machine learning in mining.

The interactive full-day workshop has been designed to help METS companies and business leaders understand how best to adopt new technologies to improve collaborative opportunities, commercialisation outcomes and protect their businesses from potential cybersecurity threats in an increasingly digitised environment. This workshop will build on the successful sessions run at this year's Austmine 2019 conference.

The METS Monday Technology Workshop will be held on 28 October with the topic ‘How can you prepare your business for transformation in the age of data analytics, automation and robotics?’

Dr Zygmunt Szpak, Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, received his PhD degree in Computer Science from the University of Adelaide in 2013 and his MSc degree in Computer Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in 2009. His research lies at the interface of computer vision, machine learning and challenging industry problems. He develops algorithms that allow computers to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence.

In the last couple of years, his work has focused on the application of machine learning and image processing techniques for the development of smart medical devices. His responsibilities at the institute include teaching industry and partner organisations how to transform their business with machine learning technology.

Dr Penny Stewart, CEO and METS company founder at PETRA, is a mining professional and entrepreneur (BE Mining, PhD, RPEQ, AusIMM CP). In June 2015, she founded PETRA Data Science to engineer data science solutions for the resources industry. She and her team have developed a suite of highly scalable algorithms for the mining industry, such as machine learning algorithms to predict equipment and process downtime/efficiency, and digital twin value chain optimisation. In 2016, PETRA collaborated with Newcrest Mining to develop and deploy some of the mining industry’s first machine learning algorithms.

Dr Stewart worked on mine sites for five years before obtaining her Queensland 1st Class Mine Managers’ Certificate of Competency in 2000. That year she commenced PhD studies at UQ’s Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre, where she received the Ian Morley prize for Best Minerals Engineering Postgraduate student. In 2009, she instigated the application of self-organising maps (neural networks) for the study of SLC recovery analysis. As a consultant rock mechanics engineer, she developed original regression and probabilistic models to predict geotechnical instability. In Newcrest’s Innovation Group 2011–2013, she combined her operational background with advanced analytical skills to design and execute research and innovation projects.