Normet has opened a new Technology Center in Pirkkala, Finland, dedicated to research, development and testing of advanced underground mining technologies. The facility will act as a central hub for autonomy, robotics and mining-specific software development, supporting projects such as automated concrete spraying, mechanised scaling and digital fleet management. For mine operators and contractors, the centre signals faster deployment of field-tested solutions for harsh underground conditions, with a focus on improving safety-critical tasks and reducing manual exposure at the face.

Suppliers of haulage equipment, process control systems and specialist services are set to dominate the WA Mining Conference and Exhibition at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in October. Exhibitors will range from safety technology providers and conveyor specialists to drill and blast contractors, showcasing gear such as collision-avoidance systems, condition-monitoring sensors and high-capacity belt cleaners on the show floor. For site engineers and maintenance teams, the event offers direct access to OEMs and service firms critical to uptime, cost control and compliance on Western Australian operations.

Western Australian explorers Corazon Mining, Javelin Minerals and Neometals are accelerating drilling across gold and copper targets, with Corazon defining a sizeable conceptual sulphide target around the historic Chalice nickel–copper–PGE mine near Leinster. Javelin is planning first-pass drilling on two previously untested magnetic anomalies interpreted as potential iron-oxide copper–gold (IOCG) systems, while also following up shallow high-grade gold intercepts at its Eastern Goldfields tenements. Neometals is advancing resource growth and deeper drilling on its Mt Edwards nickel–cobalt project, signalling continued appetite for base and precious metal discoveries in mature belts.