Australian mining tech innovator NextOre is partnering with the University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS) Robotics Institute to redefine the future of mining.
The partnership is seeking to turn MRI technology, robotics, and automation into tools for sustainability, efficiency, and talent development in the resources sector.
NextOre says the collaboration is bringing a new wave of automation, machine learning, and robotics into the mining sector and, in doing so, it’s reshaping the workforce and offering new pathways for graduates into the industry.
The mining sector is increasingly looking to graduates with skills in robotics, automation, software and AI to improve the productivity and safety of its operations.
Through its partnership with UTS, NextOre is tackling real-world, high-impact projects that are helping students transition seamlessly from classrooms to cutting-edge mine sites.
Originally developed by the CSIRO more than a decade ago, NextOre’s magnetic resonance (MR) analyser uses similar magnetic resonance (MR) technology as that used in hospital MRI scanners to rapidly measure and sort minerals of value from waste with surgical precision.
As reported by Mining.com.au, China’s Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs has announced export control measures on certain rare earths, including gadolinium, which is used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
As the global mining industry faces mounting pressure to lower its environmental footprint, NextOre CEO Chris Beal says the company’s solutions are setting a new standard for what’s possible.
“With UTS, we’re not only improving the efficiency of mineral processing – we’re demonstrating that mining can be part of a sustainable future,” he adds.
NextOre’s tech is already operational on mine sites around the world, helping reduce fuel, water and chemical use while slashing waste and tailings. When it came time to adapt the technology to suit giant mining trucks, NextOre turned to the Robotics Institute at UTS for support.
NextOre COO Shivika Singh says the company knew from the start that scaling this technology would take more than just smart hardware.
“That’s where UTS came in. Their robotics capabilities helped us bring this system to life and their students are now part of our innovation engine,” Singh says.
“We’re not just building new tech, we’re building the next generation of mining professionals. This is where a student with a robotics major can walk straight into a mining company and help shape its future.”
From developing a 7m MR ore scanner to building a light-weight, industrial 3D vision platform, UTS students are gaining hands-on experience in solving complex industrial challenges. In turn, NextOre gains access to a pipeline of tech-savvy talent ready to work at the intersection of sustainability and innovation.
Hung Thai, a UTS Robotics Institute graduate now working as a mechatronics engineer at NextOre, says when they started their robotics degree they never imagined ending up in mining.
“But through the university’s collaboration with NextOre, I got to jump from coursework theory to actual application, where I saw how Robotics, AI and control automation from simulation and lab comes to real life,” Hung says.
“The experience completely transformed my perspective on engineering, and now I’m proud to be part of a team developing technologies that make mining cleaner, smarter, and more efficient.”
For fellow NextOre colleague Kenny Tafianoto, also a graduate of the UTS Robotics Institute, the path into mining was equally unexpected. But Tafianoto was intrigued to learn that the mining sector is embracing robotic automation, and through the UTS and NextOre project gained exposure to both robotics and mining technologies.
UTS researchers are contributing expertise in materials science, robotic vision, data analytics and software engineering to advance the performance of NextOre’s systems. Their involvement is not only driving faster product development but also helping create smarter, more agile solutions to one of the world’s most resource-intensive industries.
Associate Professor at UTS, Gavin Paul, says the university’s students get real-world experience on projects with real impact. And companies like NextOre gain new ideas and fresh talent who can think beyond traditional mining.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: NextOre
