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The mining industry is as vital to today’s global economy as ever before, yet it is at a crossroad. It is an industry that is currently combating multiple adverse global trends such as falling commodity prices, a slowing global economy and skilled labour shortages. In an September 2014 interview for this report, Glenn Ives, Americas Mining Lead and Chairman of Deloitte Canada, observed that while the industry over the last year or two had “gone down—there is a realization that we do need minerals to keep our economies going.” The shift toward technology will actually also increase our dependence on mining. The industry, for the most part, understands what must be done. “Mining innovation is moving ahead,” argues Ives. The World Economic Forum highlighted “automation of operations” as a top technological driver identified by global mining stakeholders.1
Chris Kim (Tue,) studied this question.