Austmine is inviting submissions from breakthrough technologies or approaches supporting the transition to deeper copper mining — both above or below ground.

Solutions may address one or more of the following key areas:

- Enhancing technical feasibility and performance of mining at greater depths (e.g. resource recovery, geothermal management, rock stability, operational efficiency).

- Reducing energy consumption and improving thermal and ventilation efficiency in deep mines.

- Minimising environmental footprint and maximising resource recovery (e.g. waste, water, emissions).

- Improving occupational health and safety outcomes in high-risk underground environments.

- Enabling ESG-aligned practices.

- Supporting the transition of existing operations or the development of new ventures through the adoption of modular, scalable, or low-capital intensity technologies.

- Improving ore body knowledge.

Solutions can include hardware, software, integrated systems, data platforms, automation, or entirely novel approaches to mine design, planning, or operation. Both emerging technologies and enhancements to existing ones will be considered.

Successful solutions will have the opportunity to present their groundbreaking solution to a panel of industry expert judges at an Innovation Hour event as part of Copper to the World.

Nominations are open to METS Start-ups, established companies, universities, consultants and students.

It is free to submit a nomination.

Three solutions will be selected to present at the Innovation Hour during Copper to the World. If selected:

- You will have five minutes to present your solution to a panel of industry expert judges.

- You will receive a complimentary delegate pass to attend the Copper to the World Conference which is being held in Adelaide. Travel to the conference is not included.

You must be available to present in Adelaide on Tuesday 26^th August from 6pm.

The Judging Panel includes industry veterans, investors, and entrepreneurs who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table.

Judging will consider scalability and impact of your solution.

Phase 1 - Submission Period

Companies are invited to submit their short-form submission by Monday 21^st July 2025 for evaluation by Austmine and the first stage judging panel.

The Solution Submission questions can be viewed here.

A shortlisting process takes place, and three organisations will be selected to participate in Phase 2 – the Innovation Hour event.

Phase 2 - Innovation Hour Event

If selected for Phase 2:

- You will have five minutes to present your ideas to a panel of industry expert judges at the Innovation Hour Event during the Copper to the World Conference.

- You will receive a complimentary delegate pass to attend the Copper to the World Conference. Accommodation and travel to Adelaide is not included.

Following the pitches, the Judging Panel will share their feedback with the presenters and discuss emerging trends in the copper industry.

Phase 3 - Winner Announced

The Judging Panel will select a winning company following the Innovation Hour event.   

The winner will receive two delegate passes to the Global Resources Innovation Expo and Conference (GRX) and two tickets to the GRX Industry Awards Dinner to be held in Perth 5^th to 7^th May 2026.

Solution Submission Deadline - Monday 21 July 2025

Shortlisting Suppliers Notified - Thursday 31 July 2025

Innovation Hour Event - Tuesday 26 August 2025