Mining giant BHP joins Oracle, Grab, PwC to open AI hub in Singapore
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(From left) BHP's chief technical officer Johan van Jaarsveld, Enterprise Singapore's assistant managing director Lee Pak Sing, AI Singapore's AI innovation director Laurence Liew and BHP's chief commercial officer Ragnar Udd.
PHOTO: BHP
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SINGAPORE - Global mining giant BHP has launched its first Industry AI Hub in Singapore to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and innovation in the mining and resources sector.
The launch is in partnership with AI Singapore and supported by Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), BHP said in a news release on May 27.
The launch of BHP’s AI hub comes after a series of AI centres have opened in Singapore, including those of Grab, PwC and Oracle.
The hub will serve as a centre for applying AI technologies to address complex, enterprise-wide challenges at BHP, with a focus on enhancing safety, boosting productivity and embedding automation and data-driven decision-making into core operations.
Set to open in May, the hub will bring together a team of AI specialists to lead collaborations between BHP and local partners, developing practical solutions to operational problems.
BHP chose Singapore for its dynamic innovation ecosystem, advanced digital infrastructure and strong alignment with the company’s goal of scaling technologies that deliver tangible value.
The partnership with AI Singapore builds on BHP’s existing AI efforts, which have already led to improvements in procurement and financial forecasting, as well as operational efficiencies – such as saving three billion litres of water and 118 GWh of energy since financial year 2022 at its Escondida copper mine in Chile through AI-powered plant controls.
The hub is designed to strengthen BHP’s digital capabilities in the region and create ongoing opportunities for innovation and capability-building across its global operations.
BHP chief technical officer Johan van Jaarsveld said the company sees a tremendous opportunity in working with AI Singapore and other global leaders to “develop practical, innovative solutions that make our operations safer, more productive, and set new standards for the industry”.
He added: “This partnership reflects BHP’s commitment to growing internal AI capabilities.”
Mr Laurence Liew, AI innovation director at AI Singapore, said this collaboration demonstrates that “when organisations commit to becoming AI-ready and invest in developing their AI capabilities, they create tangible business value and competitive advantage”.
EnterpriseSG, which has worked with BHP since 2001 to grow Singapore as a metals and minerals trading hub, has supported the launch of the hub.
“The launch of BHP’s AI hub in Singapore marks a milestone for Singapore’s metals and minerals trading hub,” said Mr Lee Pak Sing, assistant managing director at EnterpriseSG.
This comes as more commodity companies based in Singapore are using AI to solve some of their global problem statements, he added. THE BUSINESS TIMES
