A host of new grants will see significant investment in developing more efficient and accurate minerals exploration and processing technologies in Western Australia.
A total $44 million has been committed for key research infrastructure, more than half of which is earmarked for mining and minerals.
The WA Government has committed $14.8 million with an additional co-investment of more than $29 million from the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy program.
Local research institutions are also adding to the pot, including the University of Western Australia and Curtin University.
Several high-impact projects related to minerals exploration and processing are set to benefit from this funding, including:
- $2.6 million for AuScope: enhancing research tools to enable more efficient minerals exploration and processing
- $24 million for the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre: expanding computational power to fuel advancements in artificial intelligence, space exploration, and climate research
- $2.5 million for the Australian National Fabrication Facility: upgrading facilities to support projects like sensor development for autonomous vehicles and other applications.
The funding forms part of the WA Government’s 10-Year Science and Technology Plan, which aims to position WA as a global leader in fields such as renewable energy, critical minerals, health sciences, and digital technologies.
WA Minister for Science Stephen Dawson said the funding underscores the state’s commitment to building a sustainable and prosperous future powered by knowledge and innovation.
“This latest investment by the WA Government equips our local researchers with world-class research tools to help them address some of the biggest scientific challenges of today and the future,” Dawson said.
“This includes maintaining resilient and secure food production, ensuring efficient critical mineral exploration and processing, and adapting to climate change.”
Subscribe to the Mining newsletter to get the latest news that matters to Australia’s premier industry.
