I am a mining engineer by education and Co-Founder and Managing Director of digital.mine (Digital Mine GmbH) in Germany. I graduated in Mining Engineering from RWTH Aachen University in 2011. Before establishing digital.mine, I spent more than a decade in the mining equipment industry in engineering, sales, product and lifecycle management roles within the former thyssenkrupp mining business and subsequently FLSmidth. My work focused primarily on surface mining equipment and materials handling. This gave me both a detailed understanding of mining processes and practical experience in translating technological capabilities into operational and commercial value. Today, I work as an independent advisor and conduct applied research at the intersection of mining operations, process engineering, data and digital technology. I support mining companies and technology providers in defining operationally relevant use cases and embedding digital solutions into processes and decision-making.
Anchoring AI in Mining Operations - Turning Process Understanding into Operational Value
Digital and AI initiatives in mining often begin with a technology or broad optimization objective, while the underlying operational problem remains insufficiently defined. This presentation explores how a deeper understanding of mining processes, decisions and operational context can help identify where digitalization and AI can meaningfully contribute to operational value. It examines the importance of structured problem framing and relevant domain context in moving from technological capability to targeted operational action, while also considering the conditions and limitations that shape the effective use of AI in mining.
