Operations & financial report
Technology and Innovation group
The Technology and Innovation group (T&I) had its origin in the combination of the Operational and Technical Excellence (OTX) organisation and the Group's Improving performance together business improvement work in the areas of mining, processing, asset management and strategic production planning.
T&I's focus is to be a partner in value delivery with Rio Tinto businesses by:
- supporting implementation of leading practice and high value projects;
- developing and implementing strategic innovation technologies; and
- evaluating the technical risk of major capital and growth projects.
The group comprises a core team of technology professionals and a number of technology centres that develop leading practice and drive sustainable improvement in the areas of health, safety and environment (HSE), mining, processing, asset management, strategic production planning, and project development and evaluation. Key elements are common and visible measures of operational effectiveness, the improvement of analytical tools and enhanced functional development of staff capability.
A further centre focuses on step change innovation to confer competitive advantage in development of orebodies likely to be available to Rio Tinto in the future.
The total staff in T&I at year end was 387, compared with 368 at year end 2006. The increase was due to the higher level of growth activity characterising the resource sector.
