UK selected to help advance DOE ‘Mine of the Future’ initiative

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 11, 2026) — Imagine a mining operation where workers, equipment and data are connected seamlessly — creating a safer, smarter and more efficient future for the industry.

Now, researchers at the University of Kentucky will help advance that vision.

UK is part of a national team led by Innovative Wireless Technologies Inc. (IWT), which has been selected by the U.S. Energy Department to negotiate an award supporting the Mine of the Future: Proving Ground Initiative.

The project, “Building the Mine of the Future: A Real-World Proving Ground for Autonomous Operations, Connected Systems & AI-Driven Mining Innovation,” will create a national testing ground for new mining technologies in both underground and surface environments.

“This program represents the Energy Department’s commitment to advancing mining equipment and technology now — and in the future,” said Steven Schafrik, Ph.D., mining engineering professor in the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. “We’re excited to help build these proving grounds and use them to demonstrate technologies in real-world mining environments.”

The four-year initiative is anticipated to represent a total project value of nearly $25 million, with approximately $17.7 million expected to come from federal funding and the balance from matching contributions by IWT and its project partners, pending award negotiations.

“This selection represents a significant milestone for IWT and our partners,” said Eric Hansen, chief executive officer of IWT. “For more than two decades, we have served the mining industry with technologies designed to make operations safer, more connected and more informed. The ‘Mine of the Future’ closely aligns with IWT’s technology roadmap and our vision for an increasingly intelligent, data-driven mining environment.”

The testing ground will provide mining operators, equipment manufacturers, researchers and technology developers with a real-world setting to develop, demonstrate and evaluate new technologies before they are put into wider use.

The initiative will also support applied research and demonstrations in several critical technology areas, including secure wireless connectivity, workforce communications and tracking, equipment monitoring, semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles, and data-driven tools.

For Schafrik, the project is a natural extension of the work he’s been doing to improve safety and productivity in mining through automation.

“The automation and robotics work we have been doing at UK has focused on redefining the equipment operator’s role as an equipment supervisor, by developing systems that move the operator to safe distances, while maintaining their experience, intuition, and expertise,” Schafrik said. “’The ‘Mine of the Future’ initiative will allow us to demonstrate these technologies at scale and accelerate their adoption across the industry.”

Ultimately, the initiative will bring together leaders from government, industry and research to make mining safer, improve real-time awareness of operations and strengthen the U.S. mining industry's competitiveness.

The project also will help workers build the skills needed for modern mining through hands-on training, certification programs and research opportunities focused on new technologies and automation.

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the UK Department of Mining Engineering — one of the oldest mining engineering programs in the nation.

Building on more than a century of innovation, the department continues to advance the mining industry through research in rare earth element recovery, autonomous underground mining systems, mine safety and technologies that help prevent or reduce the impacts of underground coal mine explosions.