Projects

An Industry 4.0 digital twin for the mining industry: optimisation, automation, and robotisation

Coordinator:

GFT ITALIA SRL (Italy)

Description

Digital Mine 4.0 aims to revolutionise the mining sector by making it smarter, more sustainable and digitally integrated. The project focuses on creating a connected, intelligent mining ecosystem that optimises every stage of the mining lifecycle, all the way from finding and extracting resources to waste management, with the goal of improving efficiency, safety, and environmental performance, even post-mining operations.

Objectives

Digital Mine 4.0 (Mine.io) is a Horizon Europe project designed to transform the mining industry through digitalisation and automation. The project brings together a consortium of research organisations, technology developers and industry partners to create a digitally integrated mining ecosystem that enhances sustainability, efficiency and safety across the entire value chain.

Mine.io proposes advanced technologies such as IoT, AI, robotics, automation and data analytics to improve operations from exploration to extraction, processing and waste management. It promotes responsible resource use, energy efficiency and circular economy practices, ensuring that mining activities align with the EU’s Green Deal and digital transition objectives.

A key innovation within the project is the development of a wireless charging system, which will be demonstrated at the IPT/ENRX plant in Poland. This and other pilot activities will demonstrate how digital solutions can reduce environmental impact, enhance operational control and create a safer working environment.

In a nutshell, Digital Mine 4.0 aims to redefine mining as a sustainable and digitally empowered sector, contributing to the EU’s strategic autonomy in raw materials while protecting people and the planet.

Objectives

• Build an open, digital and sophisticated digital infrastructure and the foundation of the “hyperconnected business” in the Mining Industry 4.0 production
• Develop advanced, low-impact, smart integrated solutions to boost the sustainable discovery of strategic raw materials in Europe.
• Advance mobility, Logistics and Supply Chain Operations
• Digitalisation of assets and process equipment
• Advance sustainable mining
• Demonstrate and evaluate all Mine.io concepts and solution in real-scale regional-scope pilots (implemented in WP6) – demonstrate the feasibility (evidence-supported) of innovative technological solution supporting the I4.0 transition in mining sector
• Organise and facilitate the uptake, replication and upscaling of the technological solutions developed by Mine.io
• Plan and facilitate the exploitation of project results
• Communicate and disseminate the project’s scientific and technical results – outreach to other R&D initiatives, end users’ communities and the global mining environment ‘for knowledge transfer and market development through liaison and training activities

Discover the MINE.IO project