Founders Factory and Rio Tinto have selected a fifth cohort of five start-ups for their Mining Tech Accelerator, targeting high-impact operational challenges across the mining value chain. The global programme backs early-stage ventures developing tools such as advanced orebody characterisation, digital mine planning, and AI-driven decision support for processing and logistics. For engineers, the accelerator signals continued demand for deployable technologies that integrate with existing fleet management, plant control, and geoscience data systems rather than standalone pilots.

EACON and Tonly have unveiled the EQ100E, a purpose-built, cabless, battery-electric autonomous mining truck that integrates Tonly’s chassis and powertrain engineering with EACON’s drive‑by‑wire and autonomy stack. Designed from the outset for driverless haulage rather than retrofit, the EQ100E removes the operator compartment entirely, simplifying layout for high‑capacity battery packs, sensor arrays and redundant braking and steering controls. For mine planners, the platform signals a shift towards haul road, dump and crusher interface designs optimised around fully autonomous, zero‑emission truck fleets.

Metso has signed an agreement to modernise and repower thickeners at a Chilean mine, targeting higher throughput, greater operational robustness and increased underflow density. The upgrade focuses on boosting water recovery rates from the thickener underflow, reducing fresh make-up water demand and supporting more sustainable process water management in a high-tonnage operation. For process and tailings engineers, the project signals continued pressure to extract more water from tailings streams through improved thickener design, control and retrofits rather than new-build capacity.