Australia. The land of the 'fair go', throwing shrimp on the barbie and Aussie Rules Footy. It is also the driest inhabited continent on earth, where the mining and agricultural sectors account for a significant percentage of the nation’s exports.
This continent is absolutely perfect for our system, and here is why:
- Our client Rio Tinto’s Mine of the Future is changing the face of mining through improvements in productivity and efficiency, with autonomy as a key theme.
- Australia is a major agricultural producer and exporter, with land spanning 7.7M km².
- Australia is building a number of LNG plants to fuel Asia's growth, becoming a major energy player while creating absolutely massive construction projects (that need constant monitoring) along the way.
- It is easy to do business here, and CASA’s regulations are very clear.
- Labour costs are high. Opportunities to gain efficiencies through technology will ensure Australia remains globally competitive. Home to some of the worlds largest mining and oil & gas companies, the sheer volume of mines is mind-blowing, with approximately $160B in annual exports.
In the last few weeks we have spent a considerable amount of time in Australia. We spoke and exhibited at IMARC, strategized deployments with the largest mining companies in the world (who all happen to be our clients), meeting senior executives like the CFO of Rio Tinto, and exploring new opportunities from inbound requests.
TOP: Skycatch CEO and Founder Christian Sanz with Rio Tinto's CFO at IMARC. RIGHT Skycatch exhibition in action at IMARC.
Photos from the Skycatch private VIP event at IMARC.
What we have learned
- Market leaders are flying UAVs manually and are tired of the spending money (in the case of mining, a lot of money) on dedicated staff. They are also not getting the data they need.
- Mines in Australia are autonomous to a large extent. Skycatch UAV's will save mining companies the opportunity cost of ceasing autonomous machinery whilst simultaneously delivering high quality data safely, autonomously and efficiently.
- The need to be more innovative and proactive has never been more crucial to the survival of the lucky country. Skycatch is perfectly placed to assist in a depressed commodity price world whilst improving safety, efficiency and insight.
We look forward to collaborating with our clients and partners here for many years to come.
Footnote: Special thanks to Adventure Capital and the team at the York Butter Factory who helped us greatly on our trip.
