Abstract
The global mining industry has continued to build momentum and prepare itself for what appears to be a remarkable transformation. Executives have faced increasing pressure to find sustainable and creative methods to drive shareholder value, enhance productivity, and improve the safety of the workforce. Now, enter the global COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented impact it has had on mining operations, global supply chains, and the emotional and mental well-being of the workforce.
This presentation will explore two emerging and potentially long-standing trends that we are witnessing through our work at NORCAT.
- First, the NORCAT Underground Centre, a unique underground operating mine that serves as a “place” to enable tech companies to develop, test, and demonstrate emerging technologies, has seen an unprecedented level of activity during the pandemic as compared to the same period in each of the last five years. Why? What is driving this? Is it related to the pandemic or other factors?
- Second, while instructor-led and experiential hands-on training will always be necessary in some form – new learning technologies and integrated training methods are receiving a high-level of interest from mining companies around the world. Is this heightened level of interest attributed to the pandemic as more companies explore the deployment of remote learning methods? Are there other factors driving this interest?
Both trends have provoked our organization to better understand why these emergent trends are happening and ask the question if these are short term anomalies or the beginning of long-standing changes in the mining industry. In our presentation we will share our initial hypotheses, the on-the-ground reality, and insights that all mining, mining supply / service, and mine contractor companies should be aware of going forward.