The world’s largest mining event, MINExpo happens every four years, and the 2016 event is on track to outpace them all with more than 70,000 visitors from 130 countries expected to attend. Taking place in Las Vegas from Sept. 26-28, MINExpo is the leading industry gathering focused on imaginative new products and services, innovative technologies and mining expertise for the natural resources industry.
We spoke with Marni Rabassó, Vice President, Natural Resources, Dassault Systèmes about the state of the industry, key trends and future predictions as Rabassó gets ready for MINExpo.
What are some key industry trends you’re watching in the global mining industry?
Marni Rabasso: There are two key issues that are top of mind for the mining industry – operational excellence and innovation. Both issues require philosophical changes in mining and the adoption of new kinds of technology in the industry to run businesses and drive productivity. There is a lot of interest in the Internet of Things for mining, the meaning of big data and analytics and how they can be employed, are a few examples. The role of cloud-based computing and global collaboration are other conversations happening in mining.
We are also seeing an increased focus on how technology can address the challenges posed by deposits that are more remotely located and also get more out of their existing properties.
It’s been four years since the last MINExpo – can you highlight any major technology changes or emerging technologies we should be watching?
Marni Rabasso: The biggest change is the mining industry’s recognition that there is a lot to learn from other industries about how they use technology. Several years ago, when mining came off of a peak period of demand and prices, companies reached a point where their margins were becoming squeezed to such an extent that they really had to re-examine the importance of efficiency throughout its business. We are having a lot of meaningful conversations with executives asking what the recipe is for successful business transformation.
Looking to the transformation undertaken by leaders in other industries, such as Toyota in automotive, the starting place was stability of operating processes. Following this stabilization, it is possible to progress all the way through to enterprise agility which permits a more rapid adaption to changing market conditions or business strategy.
Any future industry predictions you’d like to share?
Marni Rabasso: I’m really excited about the possibilities that the virtual world will unlock for collaboration and communication. Not only will virtual versions of mining operations provide people with a better understanding of how their operations work, and how they can be improved, but they will spark a lot of really interesting conversations that will trigger innovation.
Through the virtual world, in what I’ll call the “3DEXPERIENCE Mine”, provided by Dassault Systèmes, our customers will connect the best and brightest minds in their enterprise and ecosystem together to discover innovations, try them out and prove them before implementing them in the real mine.. The 3DEXPERIENCE Mine is a platform for innovation as an environment to try out challenging ideas that would never be explored in real life due to risk of failure, or cost. It offers immersive, 3D simulation which allow all ideas, small and large, to be explored, so they can be proven and improved upon before being implemented in the real world.
The virtual world also has a role to play in facilitating dialogue between the communities and governing bodies in which mining companies operate, so a clearer picture of the benefits and impact of a project can be better understood. The virtual world will allow for a better understanding of what a mining project will look like, and what its impact will be on the environment throughout its lifecycle through its ultimate closure.
Mining companies already collect a tremendous amount of data through sensors and can leverage this data in the virtual world to make operational decisions quickly and easily. Thanks to this, our customers will gain new insights into their businesses and the processes that drive them, for continuous improvement.
What should MINExpo attendees look forward to seeing at this year’s event?
We are delighted to have as the centerpiece of the Dassault Systèmes booth (#2453) an immersive virtual reality experience, where visitors will be able to “walk through” and explore mine tunnels, providing them with a simulated experience of a real world mine site.
In addition, we’re going to take visitors from mining companies and their industrial equipment suppliers on a “transformative innovation journey.” We’ll be featuring several interactive and immersive experiences which show how companies can engineer better plans and designs, and execute them for optimal results.
In the booth, we will have four “themed” areas, with sections for mining (Natural Resources) companies and Industrial Equipment suppliers, where visitors can learn about innovative solutions that will impact various areas of their business. The themed areas visitors can experience are:
- Model and Design – Engineered for value
- Simulate – Experience it before you do it
- Collaborate – Shared intelligence and unified innovation
- Execute and Monitor – Live performance decision-making
For those who are interested in learning about the latest trends in the mining industry and technological innovations, we will also have a presentation theater. As presentations will be running continuously in the morning until mid-afternoon, across all three days of the show, visitors can view the complete schedule here: 3DS MINExpo
