News and Events

The National Industry PhD Program brings universities and businesses together to co-design and deliver cutting-edge, industry-focused research. By embedding PhD candidates across both environments, the program enables deep collaboration on real-world challenges, translating advanced research into practical outcomes while building long-term innovation capability across sectors. About the Program The National Industry PhD Program is an […]

The National Energy Transition Accelerator (NETA) 2025 program wrapped yesterday with a demo night that celebrated and showcased the eight deep-tech protoventures that took part. Invited guests from 47 organisations gathered at Curtin 137 St Georges Terrace, representing partners from industry, venture capital funds and academia, to hear how the NETA 2025 cohort are advancing innovations across the […]

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 […]

A decentralised solution to decarbonise remote infrastructure and a novel process to upgrade low-grade iron ore using methane are just some of the exciting next-generation solutions to enable the global energy transition that will be supported by this year’s National Energy Transition Accelerator (NETA) program, supported by the RTCM Trailblazer. Eight research teams from Western […]

A sustainable mining startup backed by the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer that was developed by researchers at The University of Queensland has been recognised among a handful of top global innovators by the World Economic Forum. Each year the World Economic Forum identifies top innovators using its UpLink platform with the aim of […]

Deep tech innovators looking to create impact for the global energy transition are encouraged to submit an EOI for the 2025 National Energy Transition Accelerator (NETA). NETA is a free program for Australian-based researchers and early-stage startup founders focused on creating sustainable business models that can support the rapid deployment of research-backed technical innovations such as […]

The Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer is proud to announce the awarding of $335,000 in non-equity grant funding to 17 outstanding Early to Mid-Career Researchers (EMCRs) from Curtin University, marking a major milestone in its mission to drive industry-engaged innovation in Western Australia. The Trailblazer EMCR Grant Program was established to support emerging researchers […]

In an era where the global energy transition remained at the forefront of public consciousness, Australia made significant strides towards becoming a world leader in resources technology and critical minerals. Just over a year on from our inaugural Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer Showcase in Perth, WA, we’re looking back at some of the […]

Inaccessible supplies of an element crucial to powering a clean-energy future are set to be unlocked with technology developed by The University of Queensland. The technology, commercialised through new start-up company Banksia Minerals Processing (BMP), is a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way to extract copper from previously unviable low-quality resources. UQ’s School of Chemical […]

The Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer welcomes the latest investment in research to unlock Western Australia’s rare earth elements (REE) potential, reinforcing the state’s role in the global energy transition. A newly announced study, supported by a $175,000 grant from the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), aims to identify and develop a […]

Whilst it’s exciting to see a haul truck or drill rig operating without an onboard operator, many humans are still involved remotely, issuing commands and responding to conflicts or changing conditions. The efficiency and safety of modern mining operations have significantly improved in recent years due to rapid developments in the automation of mobile equipment […]

Developing a more economical and sustainable method to produce manganese is essential, with the critical mineral forming a key component of most lithium ion and conventional alkaline batteries needed in devices like smartphones and laptops, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems. The current production process generates several significant waste-related problems such as unutilised manganese and […]

A small-scale fluidised bed flotation device with the potential to predict industrial-scale performance is entering the final stages of testing with the delivery of 7 prototypes to industry. Developed by researchers at The University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI), the JKHFmini builds on coarse particle flotation technology where a fluidised bed is used to […]

Today the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer announced it has committed $102 million to 47 research initiatives which includes $67.6 million from 50+ industry partners such as BHP, Rio Tinto, Lynas, Woodside Energy, Cadoux, Sakura Ferroalloys, and Xcalibur. The funding supports cutting-edge advancements in exploration, production and downstream processing to advance Australia’s exploration and […]

Wednesday 4 December – 7:30am to 10:30am – Curtin Business School, 78 Murray St, Perth After 8 years of collaborative efforts by many of the worlds largest process control system end user companies, globally dominant process control OEMs and many other IT and OT organisations and standards bodies, Open Process Automation (OPA) is now not […]

Fuelling discovery of green hydrogen Whilst English scientist Henry Cavendish may have first isolated hydrogen as an element in 1766 – and it has always been the most abundant in the universe constituting 75% of normal matter – did you know it is still difficult to detect? Hydrogen is widely viewed as a critical part […]

On Tuesday 29 October, Assistant Minister for Education Anthony Chisholm visited CSIRO’s Lab22 Innovation Precinct in Clayton Victoria to see the specialist equipment and expertise now available through the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer for industry partners and researchers. The Markforged’s PX100 Binder Jetting System – now available – and Tekna’s Teskpero-15 Spheriodiser – […]

Industry leaders from the resources technology and critical minerals sector converged on Townsville, Queensland this week to discuss ways to boost this crucial industry in the region. Hosted by James Cook University, the Regional Trailblazer Showcase & Stakeholder Forum was held on Wednesday 25 September in partnership with Trailblazer program lead Curtin University and partners […]

The Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer welcomes the appointment of Resource Capital Funds (RCF) Managing Director, Brett Beatty. Brett brings to the board extensive global industry knowledge and networks, having worked in mining roles across Australia, Brazil, and the USA. Brett joined RCF, an international mining-focused private equity firm, in 2009 having worked as […]

A semi-vapor electrolyser system that can produce cost-effective green hydrogen; a catalytic graphitisation technology that can produce synthetic graphite; and a mining wastewater treatment using hydrogel beads encapsulating microorganisms that remove pollutants were just some of the exciting deep tech solutions on display last night at the inaugural National Energy Transition Accelerator Demo Night held […]

As part of the funding allocated by the Federal Government to the Trailblazer Universities program, $45 million has been provided for participating universities to access Australia’s national science agency CSIRO’s National Characterisation Capabilities and Facilities, providing them with access to specialist equipment and expertise to support the delivery of their projects. The Resources Technology and […]

With hydrogen continuing to emerge as a sustainable energy solution, we need to find innovative solutions to current challenges and risks associated with hydrogen transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure. John Curtin Distinguished Professor in Physics and Astronomy, Craig Buckley, is recognised internationally for his work on energy storage, in particular hydrogen storage and conversion. Craig leads […]

We’re delighted to announce that the winners of the 2024 Trailblazer Prize are Dr Hoa Bui, Professor Ryan Loxton, Alex Massen-Hane, and Dr Elham Mardaneh from ‘Maintenance Schedule Optimiser’. Maintenance scheduling optimisation is often seen as a type of resource-constrained project scheduling problem. Existing mathematical models and solution methods, including exact, heuristic, and meta-heuristic approaches, […]

Wednesday 25 September 2024 The inaugural Regional Trailblazer Showcase & Stakeholder Forum will be held on Wednesday 25 September in Townsville, Queensland hosted by James Cook University. The aim of the event is to highlight industry relevant research projects supported by the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer whilst identifying concerns and research goals for […]

Curtin University is thrilled to continue our partnership with Venture Minerals in support of their push to become the next rare earth element producer of significance in Australia. The company announced in an ASX update this week that data collected at the company’s flagship 40 km2 Jupiter rare earth discovery, based out of Western Australia’s […]

With the presence of the WA School of Mines for over 100 years in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Curtin University has been an integral partner of the Diggers and Dealers conference which took place in the city from 5 – 7 August 2024. For the first time this year, the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer supported a […]

Curtin is excited to announce that it will be the first University in Australia to offer Open Process Automation (OPA) training and education to the mining industry. Traditional process control technology does not meet the advancements in IT over the past 20 years, causing significant issues for the current generation of process control professionals who […]

Curtin University Associate Professor Bogale Tadesse has built a reputation for finding innovative approaches to unlock value from challenging ore deposits. His research has demonstrated improved recovery of rare earth minerals through simplified flowsheets that are capable of handling recycled water sources. He is also involved in developing alternative methods for gold extraction from complex […]

Monday 4 – Tuesday 5 August 2024 The WA School of Mines (WASM) is set to welcome industry professionals from the resources sector for exclusive campus tours during the highly anticipated Diggers & Dealers Conference in August. This initiative aims to foster stronger connections between academia and industry, highlighting the innovative research and educational excellence […]

On Thursday 20 June, Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer Director Rohan McDougall fronted members of Western Australia’s mining and critical minerals sector alongside industry heavyweights Bill Beament, Angela Glover, and Raj Surendran at Business News’s Critical Minerals Sector Briefing. The panel discussed the challenges facing the critical minerals industry, including difficulties in financing projects, […]