Harnessing Emerging Technologies in the Global Mining Sector from a Bibliometric Standpoint

The numerous challenges facing the global mining industry and the adverse impacts on the natural and human environment call for urgent action. In the present industry 4.0, the signature influx of emerging technologies (ETs) has seen various sectors of the economy embracing their application. To improve the safety, operational efficiency, and sustainability of the mining value chain, there has been a significant increase in the adoption, incorporation and application of ETs such as digital twins, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and blockchain. Through a bibliometric analysis of scholarly publication outputs on ETs in the mining industry, this study visualises and ascertains the development and trends of these technologies from 1986 until now. Bibliometric datasets made up of 135 articles drawn from the popular Scopus database were employed. Dataset analysis revealed influential scholarly outputs, authors, and research clusters. The study provides relevant stakeholders in the sector with firsthand insight into the state of ET integration and use in the mining sector. Further studies are recommended to explore innovative technological interventions in other industries that can be adapted to enhance and optimise the activities and processes of the mining sector.