Banksia Minerals Processing is celebrating a major achievement after winning the Smarter Copper Processing Solutions prize at the Copper to the World (CTTW) 2025 Conference.
The Trailblazer-supported venture commercialises breakthrough technology from Associate Professor James Vaughan and his team at the University of Queensland Hydrometallurgy Research Group that enables sustainable extraction of copper from low-grade resources.
The annual conference, themed “The Copper Advantage: Powering the Future”, attracted more than 550 mining leaders, METS companies, innovators and government representatives. Hosted by Austmine in partnership with the Government of South Australia, the two-day event featured 70 speakers and 32 exhibitors showcasing technologies shaping the future of copper.
BMP Managing Director Leigh Staines impressed judges during the Innovation Hour pitch competition, where six finalists presented to a panel of experts and industry professionals across two categories: Deep Copper Mining and Smarter Copper Processing.
Banksia’s chloride leaching solution was recognised for its practical potential to unlock complex and lower-grade ores, providing a pathway to rapid scaling and widespread adoption across the sector.
Building on this success, Ms Staines was also selected as one of only 23 founders from 150 submissions to present at Cicada x Tech23, a national showcase connecting deep tech startups with investors and industry leaders.
“These two events have highlighted both the industry and investor interest in Banksia’s mission to redefine copper processing and unlock new sources of supply to support the energy transition, built environment and computing power,” Ms Staines said. “The recognition from global Industry experts at CTTW validates our development plans and we are appreciative of the feedback and encouragement.”
Looking ahead, Ms Staines will be speaking at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney from 21–23 October 2025. IMARC is Australia’s largest mining event, drawing a global audience to discuss trends in mining, investment and innovation towards a sustainable future.
