The partnership is GE’s first with an Australian mining company, and, according to South32, GE is the ideal partner, having recently undertaken its own digital transformation.

South32, with its diverse mining portfolio spanning 10 operations and five countries, stated that it sees a real opportunity for technology and innovation to drive safety and productivity improvements.

Through this partnership South32 will utilise GE’s Predix platform, which is designed specifically for industry and connects industrial equipment, data analysis and instant insights. The system can enable South32 to make fast, informed decisions, and provides the opportunity to optimise entire operations, rather than individualised assets and equipment.

Graham Kerr, CEO of South32, commented: “Bringing the world of operational technology and information technology together to monitor equipment and systems remotely and predict future behaviour is a game changer. It has the potential to identify and solve a problem before it affects operations.”

GE CEO and chairman Jeff Immelt said: “The future of mining is digital. With data and analytics, we can achieve greater levels of productivity, operational efficiencies and improve safety.

“We look forward to working with South32 to help them optimise their operations and accelerate the digital transformation of the mining industry at large.”