While NAM puts a focus on technology in every issue we publish – after all, we can no longer just keep up with it all, we need to stay a step ahead – this particular issue is sprinkled with more tech talk than usual.
For example, check out Features Editor Jonathan Rowland’s “How wire ropes shape shovel performance” – a rather bread-and-butter topic that doesn’t really change much, right? Wrong. Performance needs are higher than ever, and maintenance requirements, as such, are also more important than ever. Enter the tech of engineering a better system and the diagnostic systems and tools that, for lack of a better phrase, simply make sure things are getting done, and done better than ever.
Then there’s Final Word, the last page of the magazine. Yes, judging by the feedback emails I get, I know you, readers, take a gander at it every issue. Make sure to check this one out. We asked artificial intelligence for its take on the positive points of mining for mining workers, and it did not disappoint. Trust me on this one.
Then there’s the headlines of the past month, which have surprisingly been lower on the technology quotient despite this issue, at press time, being just a couple of weeks past the ConExpo/Con-Agg show in Las Vegas. One thing that did get our attention, and should also catch yours, is the announcement from MineHub and Minespider on their collaboration to enhance critical mineral transparency.
MineHub Technologies entered into a memorandum of understanding with German traceability software firm Spider Labs GmbH, or Minespider, to drive digitization within the physical commodities markets.
Initially, collaboration will include cross-selling of products and possible platform integration. By working together strategically, Minespider and MineHub plan to harness the strength of their combined network of customers and partners to fast-track their momentum while upping value by better serving the market. In other words, with this technology already validated, get ready for more data and more ways to use it to get the answers you need.
“We’re enabling industries to meet compliance mandates and adapt to market volatility with greater precision by enhanced visibility and trust across supply chains,” Andrea Aranguren, CEO of MineHub, said in early March. He also stressed a key point for the industry: that the pact is not just about keeping pace with regulations, it’s about advancing resilience.
Transparency fosters competitive advantage and long-term value, he said, and as the ESG compliance market is projected to reach $65B+ by 2027 at 14.9% CAGR, this partnership is perfectly timed for mining’s expanding need for sustainability in supply chain practices.
Transparency will always be crucial to the industry. When the digital world is linked up to that, our understanding of the commodity markets and chains will come much more into focus, and more understanding and insight is never a bad thing.
Until next month, work safe.
Donna Schmidt
Editor, North American Mining magazine
[email protected]
X: @Dschmidt_NAM