According to EY’s Top 10 business risks and opportunities for mining and metals in 2026, the mining and metals sector is entering a pivotal moment. External pressures such as geopolitics and regulation remain relevant, but for the first time, internal operational challenges are emerging as the highest-priority risks.
EY’s list of the top 10 risks and opportunities for mining and metals in 2026 based off the most recent survey compared to the previous survey results. Source: EY.
Key among these is Operational Complexity (No. 1), ranked the top risk for 2026. Declining ore grades, deeper and more variable orebodies, aging infrastructure, and cost pressures mean many mines can no longer rely on past routines.
Another major theme is Rising Costs & Productivity Pressures (No. 2). Labour, energy, royalties and maintenance are all under strain, and digital/automation is flagged as a critical enabler.
Workforce (No. 6) remains a central concern, as mining faces both a skills shortage and a wave of retirements, putting pressure on both performance and safety.
Digital & Innovation (No. 8) appears as well-more than just hype; EY emphasises that AI, data platforms and digital strategies must be aligned with business goals if real value is to be unlocked.
Sustainability (No. 9) continues to shape strategy. While it has been a major focus historically, its importance now intertwines tightly with operational performance and access to capital.
Finally, the Changing Business Models (No. 10) risk reflects how mines and metals operations must evolve: shift from purely commodity extraction to integrated value chains, circularity, and broader stakeholder alignment.
How Plotlogic Steps In
At Plotlogic we believe many of these risks are closely interconnected and that responding to them requires more than incremental change. We support our mining partners in turning risk into resilience through five core approaches:
1. Operational clarity where it matters most. As complexity increases (No. 1), tools that deliver instant, high-resolution insight become critical. Our platform provides operators timely, spatially dense data at key mine points, enabling better handling of variability, stronger alignment between planning and execution and greater predictability.
2. Productivity through smarter integration, not just automation. With cost and productivity pressures (No. 2) continuing to challenge the sector, OreSense® focuses on enabling more effective decision-making across the mining value chain. By integrating seamlessly into existing workflows, it helps operators act earlier, reduce rehandling, limit waste, and keep throughput consistent (No. 9).
Day after day, OreSense® ensures ore and waste are sent to the right destination, improving recovery and maintaining operational reliability. With full traceability and a clear understanding of orebody variation, it delivers connected data across mining, stockpiles, and plant feed, empowering teams with insight that enhances both productivity and confidence in every decision.
3. Addressing workforce and expertise gaps. With workforce shortages (No. 6) continuing to grow, the mining industry requires solutions that enhance human capability. OreSense® supports front-line teams in making informed decisions quickly, using reliable data to guide their actions, while allowing them to focus on higher-value work rather than repetitive tasks.
The system enables collaboration and contribution from any location, giving teams access to actionable insights wherever they are. By streamlining workflows and improving coordination, OreSense® helps lift operational performance, ensuring decisions are consistent, efficient, and aligned across the entire operation.
4. Driving real digital value. Digital and innovation (No. 8) are meaningless unless they deliver measurable outcomes. Our approach is about delivering tools that integrate into operations, produce reliable outputs and support decisions in real time.
5. Supporting sustainability and business model evolution. Material insights underpin responsible mining: knowing exactly what’s being mined, when and where, supports better resource recovery, lowers waste and strengthens the licence to operate. As business models evolve (No. 10), being agile, integrated and data-driven becomes a strategic advantage.
Final thought
Risk presents as a signal to evolve. The organisations that thrive in 2026 will transform risk into resilience, clarity and performance. At Plotlogic, we believe real-time data, seamless integration and operationally-relevant tools are key to that transformation.
