Sustainability and uranium digitalisation

This case study focuses on an open-pit uranium mining company that began its operations in Johannesburg, Southern Africa at the start of 2015. The company was one of the largest uranium mining companies in the world, but many of its processes were manual, leading to a lack of real-time information flow between systems and stakeholders. The Chief Executive (CE) was tasked with enabling a company-wide real-time flow of information and collaboration among stakeholders globally, while also ensuring that the mine significantly contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To achieve these goals, the CE needed to assemble a team of engineers to research and implement fourth industrial revolution (4IR) techniques to create an integrated enterprise that aligns with the connected business world. The case details the team's exploration of the feasibility of implementing 4IR technologies in the mining industry, the protocols for introducing 4IR in the mining industry, the benefits of 4IR for the mine, and the contribution of 4IR to the SDGs.