GE and South32 enter digital transformation strategic partnership

GE and South32 today announced the signing of a three-year  strategic partnership to assist in then development of South32’s technology roadmap ad activation of the Company’s digital transformation.

The partnership, GE’s first with an Australian mining company in the digital space, is a step towards playing a much bigger role in the global mining sector. For South32, GE is the ideal partner, having recently undertaken their own digital transformation.

This partnership marks the beginning of an exciting journey. South32, with its diverse mining portfolio spanning 10 operations and five countries, sees a real opportunity for technology and innovation to drive safety and productivity improvements.

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

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

“By partnering with GE, we have an opportunity to transform the way we work,” added Ricus Grimbeek, Chief Technology Officer, South32. “If we get this right, the result won’t just be an incremental improvement but a new level of efficiency and performance.”

For GE, bringing digital transformation to the mining industry is an exciting prospect.

“The future of mining is digital. With data and analytics, we can achieve greater levels of productivity, operational efficiencies, and improve safety,” GE Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Jeff Immelt said. “We look forward to working with South32 to help them optimize their operations and accelerate the digital transformation of the mining industry at large.”

“Mines collect terabytes of data today, but do not have the platform or solutions to provide real-time insights to deliver operational productivity.”  GE Mining CEO Scott Phillips said. “Together, GE Mining and South32 have the opportunity to help solve these challenges in the mining sector. This is a very exciting time to be in mining.”

Source: genewsroom.com