EPIROC ROCK DRILLS AB

Their core work

Epiroc Rock Drills AB is a major Swedish mining equipment manufacturer specializing in rock drilling systems, underground mining machinery, and construction tools. Within H2020, they drive the transformation of mining operations toward digitalized, carbon-neutral, and safer practices — acting as an industry anchor that brings real mining site conditions and equipment expertise into EU research consortia. Their work bridges heavy industrial mining with digital technologies like automation, sensor networks, predictive maintenance, and virtual reality training for mine workers.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Epiroc's H2020 trajectory shows a clear progression from sustainable resource extraction toward full-stack digital mining. Their early project SIMS (2017) focused on sustainable mining and raw materials pilots — essentially making existing mining smarter. By 2020-2021, their portfolio expanded dramatically into digitalization, automation, carbon neutrality, drones, VR/AR, and predictive maintenance, reflecting the broader industry push toward Industry 4.0 in extractive sectors.

Epiroc is moving decisively toward zero-emission, fully automated mining operations — partners interested in decarbonizing heavy industry or deploying digital twins in extreme environments should take note.

How they like to work

Epiroc prefers to lead: they coordinated 2 of their 3 projects, both with substantial budgets (EUR 3.4M and EUR 3.8M in EC funding to Epiroc alone). With 40 unique partners across 9 countries, they build large, diverse consortia rather than working in tight clusters. This is consistent with a large industrial company that sets the research agenda and assembles academic and technology partners around real-world mining challenges.

Epiroc has built a network of 40 unique partners across 9 countries through just 3 projects, indicating they assemble broad, multi-disciplinary consortia. Their partnerships likely span mining research institutes, sensor technology firms, and safety/training specialists across Northern and Central Europe.

What sets them apart

Epiroc brings something rare to EU consortia: they are not a university or research institute theorizing about mining — they are the company whose equipment is actually underground. This gives them direct access to real mining sites for pilot testing, which is critical for any project that needs to validate technology in harsh, real-world conditions. Their willingness to coordinate large projects and their progression toward carbon-neutral mining makes them an ideal anchor partner for Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy, Mobility) proposals targeting extractive industries.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NEXGEN-SIMS
  Their largest funded project (EUR 3.8M to Epiroc), targeting carbon-neutral mining — a direct sequel to SIMS showing sustained commitment and progression.
• SIMS
  Their first H2020 coordination, establishing Epiroc as a lead partner in the EU sustainable mining research ecosystem.
• illuMINEation
  Participation (not coordination) in a project combining drones, VR/AR, and sensor networks — broadening their digital mining toolkit beyond their own consortium.