Mipac’s first Path to Progress seminar was hailed a resounding success by attendees and organisers alike, as professionals from across the process industries came together in Brisbane for an evening of engaging conversation, insightful presentations and meaningful connection.
Hosted at the Stamford Plaza, the inaugural event focused on challenges faced in successfully adopting new technology in a mining operation. This session exceeded expectations with a packed room of engineers, decision-makers and industry partners. The aim was to create a space where professionals could share ideas, explore emerging trends, and build stronger ties within the industry.
The evening featured speakers, including Alex Franklin from First Principles Consulting, a fireside chat from Mani Selva from Evolution Mining, and a panel discussion with Mani, Mark Franklin from First Principles Consulting and Mipac’s Solution Manager, Dominic Stoll.
The overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees has set the tone for future events.
“I think one thing that was reinforced by a lot of the panellists was the importance of going to the front line and getting that bottom-up perspective,” said Andrew Paul from BHP.
“I think that’s crucial in encouraging sustainable change across our organisations. I come from a maintenance background at the moment that’s where I work, and mining production before that, so process is not my typical work zone, but it’s interesting to hear that a lot of the same challenges I have exist in the process space as well.”
The event was attended by a range of MMM organisations, including Rio Tinto, Glencore, JKTech, BHP and more.
“I think the most important takeaway for me personally is the importance of bringing people along in the journey early when you are trying to adopt a technology or innovation in general,” said Winnie Ma from the University of Queensland.
“I really agree with the panellists when they mentioned it’s important to communicate with your stakeholders early and get them onboard early.”
Mipac is already looking ahead to future opportunities to host similar gatherings, with plans underway for more community-building initiatives in 2025 and beyond.
Read more and watch the videos from Mipac’s first Path to Progress.