Through astute acquisitions and product integration Hexagon has become one of the global heavyweights in the mining and metals technology space. With a long-term technological mission to combine real-world measurements and innovative software, it brings a unique perspective to the market.

Connection is a vital theme in mining today. Hexagon mining business leaders contend that the industry has a significant opportunity to better link geology, planning, execution and processing to unlock more value from operational decisions. This and the now ubiquitous prospects for AI-driven analytics are explored in the pre-IMARC discussion below.

What does Hexagon do and what role does it play in the mining industry?

Hexagon helps mining companies connect the physical and digital worlds to make operations safer, more productive and more sustainable. Across the mining value chain our technologies span geology and mine planning, drilling and blasting, fleet management, safety, material tracking, processing and analytics.

Increasingly our focus is on connecting those capabilities rather than treating them as separate technologies. Our Ore to Value vision is about understanding material throughout its journey – from the resource in the ground through extraction and processing to a saleable commodity – and preserving and enriching the knowledge associated with it along the way.

Because Hexagon is OEM-agnostic and open by design we can connect technologies, workflows and data from across a mixed mining environment. The objective is not simply to optimise individual machines or processes but to help customers optimise the value of the operation as a whole.

What are you seeing as some of the biggest challenges facing the mining sector right now?

Mining companies are being asked to deliver more from increasingly complex operations while improving safety, productivity and sustainability. At the same time they are managing variability in orebodies and operating conditions, skills shortages and an ageing workforce, and enormous volumes of data that do not always translate into better decisions.

One of the biggest challenges is that information can still be fragmented across functions. Geology, planning, operations and processing may each have valuable data but if that knowledge is siloed or delayed, opportunities to respond to changing conditions are lost.

That is why we see a significant opportunity in connecting these parts of the value chain. The industry needs to move beyond optimising individual pieces of equipment or processes and towards understanding how decisions in one part of the operation affect value downstream.

 

What technologies, innovations or approaches do you think will have the biggest impact on mining over the next few years?

The combination of sensing, real-time data, digital twins, advanced analytics and AI has enormous potential. The important point, however, is how these technologies work together.

Our vision is a living digital twin of the mine: not a static model or planning snapshot, but a real-time, time-aware representation spanning exploration, extraction, processing and ultimately closure. Material can have a digital identity that evolves as it moves through the operation, preserving what is known about it and informing the decisions that come next.

AI will be particularly powerful when applied to this connected operational context. Mining has accumulated huge amounts of data and expertise. Combining that knowledge with real-time sensing and analytics can improve resource estimation, extraction sequencing, safety and material flow, while helping preserve valuable operational knowledge as experienced people leave the industry.

Ultimately, autonomy will also benefit. We see autonomy not simply as removing people from equipment, but as an outcome of having sufficient trust in the data and decisions that underpin an operation.

 

How is better access to real-time data changing the way mining companies make decisions and manage their operations?

Better access to real-time data changes the questions an operation can ask. Traditionally, when something disrupts a short-term plan, the focus might be: how do we get back to the plan? With better real-time knowledge the question becomes, given what we know about the operation right now, what is the best decision from this point forward?

We can already update models using sensing while drilling, understand blast movement, track which truck material was loaded into and when it reached the crusher, and increasingly understand how that material moves downstream through stockpiles, conveyors and the processing plant.

Connecting that information creates a continuous feedback loop between planning and execution. Instead of allowing operational variability to progressively degrade the value assumed in the original plan, mines can continually refine decisions based on what is actually happening. That means faster decisions, less uncertainty and a much clearer connection between daily operational choices and economic outcomes.

 

How important is collaboration between mining companies, METS businesses and other parts of the ecosystem in tackling the challenges facing the sector and has an event like IMARC played a role in building those connections for Hexagon?

Collaboration is essential because no single technology, company or discipline can solve mining’s biggest challenges in isolation. Modern mines are complex ecosystems involving operators, equipment manufacturers, METS companies, technology providers, researchers and many others.

For Hexagon openness is fundamental to how we approach that environment. Most mines operate mixed fleets and use technology from multiple providers. Our role is to help connect those data points and workflows so customers can gain context and value from the whole operation rather than being constrained by technology silos or walled gardens.

That makes forums such as IMARC valuable. They bring different parts of the mining ecosystem together and create opportunities to move the conversation beyond individual products towards the operational challenges the industry needs to solve collectively. Those conversations are particularly important as the sector looks at areas such as AI, interoperability, autonomy and the closer integration of mining and processing.

Who are you hoping to connect with at IMARC this year, and what conversations or opportunities are you most looking forward to?

 

We are looking forward to conversations with mining companies and industry partners about how we move from isolated optimisation towards connected, whole-of-operation value.

In particular we want to hear from operators about where information is being lost between geology, planning, execution and processing, and where better visibility of material could improve decision-making. There is a tremendous opportunity to connect what the mine knows about the resource in the ground with what is happening operationally and, ultimately, what the processing plant needs.

We are also keen to discuss how AI and analytics can be applied to real mining problems in a practical way. The opportunity is not AI for its own sake but using it alongside trusted operational data and mining expertise to turn information into decisions and measurable outcomes.

 

Don’t miss a chance to catch up with Hexagon business leaders at stand Q21 at IMARC 2026, ICC Sydney, from October 27-29.