By Neville Judd
How does a leader in measurement technologies measure success? In mining, technology that helps to make uneconomic ore bodies economically feasible again is surely one measure of success. Partnerships that make mining demonstrably safer and more efficient is another.
Hexagon measures success by the value realised by its customers.
So what use is an award in this context? Industry recognition can be a subjective exercise, and trophies alone don’t make a difference. The customer value behind the accolades earned by Hexagon this year is why we are celebrating.
Here’s a look at the value and innovation behind each category.
Mines adopting Drill Assist report up to 50% productivity increases, major reductions in re-work, and lower energy use and emissions.
Winner, 2025 Mining Magazine Excellence Award – Drill & Blast
Powered by artificial intelligence, Drill Assist functions as a smart automation layer above existing rig control systems, continuously analysing real-time data to optimise drilling parameters with precision. The result is consistency, safety, and sustainability, without the need for extensive training or additional hardware. In fact, new operators can reach expert-level performance in as little as 15 minutes.
At Capstone Copper’s Pinto Valley mine, one team member described Drill Assist as “the best drilling programme I’ve seen in my career.” The technology’s intuitive interface and seamless integration are redefining what’s possible for efficiency and operator confidence alike.
Beyond immediate productivity gains, Drill Assist marks a major step toward full rig autonomy, with future integration into blast-design systems promising further reductions in energy use and carbon intensity. For customers, it’s not just automation, it’s a smarter, safer, and more sustainable path to performance excellence.
Winner, 2025 Mining Technology Excellence Award – Integrated Safety
Hexagon’s success at the 2025 Mining Technology Excellence Awards underscored more than a single win, it reflected a sustained commitment to value creation through innovation. The company’s integrated safety platform, recognised in the Safety – Integrated Safety category, has become a benchmark for how technology can meaningfully transform mining operations.
By combining collision avoidance, operator alertness, personal protection, and vehicle-intervention systems into one intelligent ecosystem, Hexagon helps mines prevent incidents before they occur while improving efficiency and compliance.
More than 65,000 Collision Avoidance Systems are now deployed across over 100 mines worldwide.
More than 65,000 Collision Avoidance Systems are now deployed across over 100 mines worldwide, proving that Hexagon’s solutions deliver scalable, measurable results, from fewer fatigue-related incidents to smoother fleet coordination, and safer working conditions.
Yet Hexagon’s innovation extends beyond hardware and software; it’s about trust, partnership, and cultural change. The company’s approach integrates data-driven insights with a proven change-management methodology, ensuring that new technology is not only adopted but embedded sustainably.
Amid market volatility and stakeholder scrutiny, Hexagon’s achievements demonstrate that technological excellence is not an endpoint but an enabler, empowering customers to operate safely, efficiently, and responsibly in the world’s most demanding mining environments.
Finalist, 2025 Mining Magazine Excellence Award – Safety
Finalist, 2025 Australian Mining Prospect Awards – Excellence in Mine Safety
At the MMG Rosebery underground mine in Tasmania, Hexagon Operator Alertness System (OAS) delivers real value through innovation. The system, recognised as a finalist in two awards, uses advanced sensor technology and machine-learning to monitor operators for signs of fatigue or distraction and issue real-time alerts, addressing one of mining’s most persistent safety risks.
Within the first three months of deploying OAS, Rosebery mine recorded a 65% drop in validated eye-closure events, and a year later saw an 81% reduction in severe incidents.
Within the first three months the mine recorded a 65% drop in validated eye-closure events, and a year later saw an 81% reduction in severe incidents.
But the value goes beyond the numbers: the project reinforced a safety culture grounded in trust, transparency, and meaningful change management. Adjustments to rotation schedules, break facilities and health support accompanied the tech deployment, ensuring the innovation became embedded rather than just installed.
For Rosebery, OAS isn’t simply another tool, it’s a strategic technology platform driving sustained safety and operational outcomes.
Finalist, 2025 Mining Magazine Excellence Award – Partnership
Hexagon’s long-standing collaboration with Gold Fields was recognised by Mining Magazine in the Partnership category. Together, the companies have advanced an integrated safety ecosystem across multiple operations, tackling fatigue, distraction, and collision risks both above and below ground.
After deploying CAS and OAS, Tarkwa saw a 91% reduction in fatigue-related incidents and whole operational shifts running without a single fatigue event.
At Gold Fields Ghana’s Tarkwa mine, for example, the partnership with Hexagon has delivered meaningful value through innovation and collaboration. By deploying Hexagon Operator Alertness System (OAS) and Collision Avoidance System (CAS), Tarkwa now monitors operator alertness via sensor-based, machine-learning algorithms and achieves real-time awareness for vehicle and operator traffic even in poor visibility.
The results: a 91% reduction in fatigue-related incidents and whole operational shifts running without a single fatigue event.
Beyond the tech itself, the innovation lies in how the solutions were embedded, through robust training, data-driven insights, and culture change that transferred knowledge from Hexagon into Gold Fields Ghana’s teams.
This isn’t just an upgrade: it’s a lasting shift in how safety and productivity are managed, transforming risk-heavy operations into sustained performance and trust-based partnerships.
Conclusion
The mining industry’s margins for success have never been finer. Achieving excellence is no longer just about deploying new technology; it’s about building trust, nurturing long-term partnerships, and embedding proven change-management methodologies that ensure innovation takes root. True technological excellence is sustained not by transactions but by collaboration, by the shared commitment of miners, partners, and technology leaders to make every operation safer, smarter, and more sustainable for the long term.
Because ultimately, the true worth of any award lies not in recognition itself, but in the customer value it represents: the trust earned, the partnerships forged, and the innovation that endures.
Read the awards press release.
Throughout 2025 we’ll be blogging about the challenges facing the mining industry. Drawing upon insights from thought leaders in our customer community and from within Hexagon, we’ll share how trusted partnerships and proven technology are addressing those challenges, helping to improve safety and cut costs while balancing the demands of productivity and sustainability.