The Horizon 2020 "illuMINEation" project with a budget of 8.9 million euros will begin with its kick-off meeting in September 2020. Vision: It is intended to tap the full potential of digitalisation for mining by firmly rooting "digital thinking" in the structures of mining companies, improving employee competences regarding digital applications and promotion of the cooperation along the entire value chain.
Given the large array of raw materials, Europe is exposed to a tremendous import dependency. To secure the EU as a high-tech location and assure its competitiveness in the future, this dependency must be urgently reduced. This requires that all processes of traditional mining are redevised and revolutionised using groundbreaking innovations and the novel "Industrial Internet of Things“ (IIoT). A comprehensive data analysis is to enable the optimisation of different subareas of a mining operation.
The illuMINEation research project sponsored by the European Commission and coordinated by Montanuniversität Leoben will treat and shed light on a vast number of important aspects regarding digitalisation and underground mining. The main objective of the research group is to improve efficiency of the mining companies and their standards of environmental protection and safety. As core elements of the project, a multi-stage decentralised IIoT platform including cloud/edge computing and decentralised data management are being developed and tested. Comprehensive sensor networks within the mining companies are to supply all required data. The optimisation of the information flows to create the best possible bases for decision-making is supported by highly advanced user interfaces and user application, besides novel visualisations, including by means of AR/VR/digital twins. Far-reaching cybersecurity measures assure the highest of protection standards for computer systems and prevent possible data thefts. illuMINEation has set itself the goal to not only secure but also significantly improve the sustainability and profitability of European mining companies through the digitalisation of key technical aspects of mining (e.g., raw material deposits, mountain stabilities, machine status monitoring, working conditions, etc.)
Project partners
The effective, multi-disciplinary project consortium (19 partner organisations from 6 European countries) is composed of leading industrial companies, experienced industrial experts, and recognised research institutions: Montanuniversität Leoben (AT), Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft MBH (AT), Epiroc Rock Drills AB (SE), ams AG (AT), KGHM Cuprum sp. z o.o. (PL), DMT GmbH & CO. KG (DE), GEOTEKO Serwis Sp. z o.o. (PL), Lulea Tekniska University (SE), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ES), KGHM Polska Miedz SA (PL), Minera de Orgiva SL (ES), RHI Magnesita GmbH (AT), DSI Underground Austria GmbH (AT), Retenua AB (SE), IMA Engineering Ltd Oy (FI), Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation (ES), Worldsensing SL (ES), Instytut Chemii Bioorganiczney Polskiej Akademii Nauk (PL), Boliden Mineral AB (SE).
More information
Go to project homepage: illuMINEation
Dr Gernot Loidl
(Overall project coordination & project management)
Tel.: +43 (0)3842 402 8415
