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A new major industry research collaboration between The University of Western Australia (UWA) and Rio Tinto Iron Ore will commence in 2018.

UWA’s Geodata Algorithms Team will engage with Rio Tinto Iron Ore for the next four years on diverse data analytics and data mining research projects including automated 3D geological modelling.

‘The team has maintained a strong collaborative track record with Rio Tinto for the past seven years.

‘We have developed and deployed innovative data science solutions for drill-hole data analysis and integration, which resulted in improved efficiency and robustness of the Rio Tinto’s data analysis workflow,’ says Professor Eun-Jung Holden from UWA’s Centre for Exploration Targeting .

The upcoming engagement, dubbed Data Fusion Projects, will see a $3.6 million investment to continue the development of 3D geological modelling and image analysis. The UWA team will be led by Professor Holden and Dr Daniel Wedge, while Rio Tinto’s team will be led by Superintendent Geologist Mr Thomas Green.

‘The UWA team explores the boundaries of computational science and geoscience.

‘Rio Tinto’s willingness to initiate this research collaboration backed by a significant financial commitment, demonstrates their confidence and vision in harnessing data science solutions to achieve operational efficiency.

‘The Data Fusion Projects will maximise the value of our collected data, and increase the importance of multi-disciplinary training for the future of the industry,’ says Professor Holden.