The Northern Miner has launched the Goldquest Challenge, a student-focused contest built around monthly online quizzes on gold, mining and the metal’s role in technology, finance and sustainability, with each completed quiz earning an entry into a grand prize draw. From all entries, 20 students will be shortlisted to write a gold-themed essay judged by an expert panel on creativity, insight and originality, with the winner receiving an all‑expenses‑paid trip to the 2026 CIM Convention in Vancouver (3–6 May), including flights, hotel, meals and full conference access. Eligibility is restricted to students in select countries, with details set out in the contest’s Rules & Regulations.

Eurasian Resources Group reports that digital tools and in‑house AI across its mines and plants delivered more than $111 million in economic impact in 2025, as it brands 2026 its “Year of Digitalisation and AI”. The group is expanding site connectivity and core IT infrastructure to support proprietary optimisation models for processing plants and mine operations, rather than relying on off‑the‑shelf platforms. For engineers, this signals growing demand for robust OT networks, data governance, and integration of AI models directly into control systems and dispatch.

Pilot Crushtec is expanding its European distributor network on the back of rising EU demand for its TwisterTrac VS350E Stage V mobile VSI crusher, developed specifically to meet EU Stage V emissions regulations. Sales and Marketing Director Francois Marais says the electric‑driven VS350E targets quarrying and mining contractors needing compliant, high-spec mobile crushing and screening trains. The move signals more competition for established European OEMs and could give mines additional options for low‑emission, modular crushing circuits in brownfield upgrades.