Chinese and Australian universities collaborate with FMG on mining sector innovation
An iron ore miner and Chinese and Australian universities have formally joined forces to launch a mining and cooperation innovation research model.
The collaboration is between West Australian iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), the University of Western Australia (UWA), the WA School of Mines at Curtin University, Central South University (CSU) in Changsha, and Sun Yat-San University in Guangzhou.
FMG chief executive Nev Power said the company was excited by the prospect of engaging the brightest minds from China and Australia in the graduate program.
"We used innovative ways to develop and mine orebodies in the Pilbara [in north-west WA] that other companies considered uneconomic," he said.
"That approach to innovation has been very successful for FMG, and we say our workers have two jobs.
"One is to do their job really well, and the other is to try and figure out a way to do it more productively and efficiently, and it's that constant search for innovation and new ideas that drives our company culture."
After founder Andrew Forrest, FMG's second-largest investor is a Chinese group, and Mr Power said fostering stronger ties with China would bring significant expertise.
"We will never have all the ideas ourselves within Australia," he said.
"The more of these links we can build, the more collaboration between universities, the greater level of cultural understanding between countries adds to innovation and helps Australia build its business."
WA School of Mines sees evolution of mine jobs
Professor Sam Spearing is the director of Curtin University's WA School of Mines, one of the collaborative academics.
He said there was a lot of negative press around about the mining industry tanking, and little understanding of the production phase it had entered into.
Professor Spearing said innovation was changing the way the sector operated, as well as the job profiles of the future.
"Basically the way to make mining safe is to move people away from the working space," he said.
"That means more instrumentation, more robotics, more autonomous machines, which in turn needs different skill sets.
"There will be a greater need for more skilled technicians, instrumentation operators, more computer science graduates, and all manner of electrical engineering types.
"The future jobs will change and become even more focused on high-quality, highly skilled capabilities."
METS sector ready for greater innovation
The mining and energy sectors do not exist in isolation — they may do the extraction and shipping, but they rely on a strong supply chain.
They come under the banner of METS — mining, equipment, technology and services.
Board chairwoman Elizabeth Lewis-Grey sees great potential in a formal tie-in.
"Obviously China is an important trading partner," she said.
"But also, China is moving ahead of Australia in many areas, such as digital platforms, so we're there to learn from the Chinese students and universities as much as they want to leverage off Australia's mining capabilities."
Ms Lewis-Grey believes the pivot to technology is starting to speed up.
"I think for a long time, leaders in Australian mining have been relying on things like increases in equipment scale and cost reductions and improvements," she said.
"But they've now recognised that the new technologies and opportunities are so significant they can't do it on their own.
"They need to collaborate more, especially with suppliers and research institutes.
"METS companies are innovating ahead of mining companies, and it is typical for the supply industry to be looking forward."
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