PhysicsX and Fortescue Expand AI Partnership for Mining and Industrial Innovation

UK-based industrial AI company PhysicsX and Australian mining and energy company Fortescue have announced an expanded multi-year partnership to apply artificial intelligence across mining operations, engineering and technology development. Announced on 27 October 2026 in Singapore, the agreement builds on more than two years of collaboration and establishes PhysicsX as a key AI technology and innovation partner to Fortescue. The companies aim to improve operational performance, accelerate industrial research and support the development of technologies relevant to Fortescue's long-term decarbonisation ambitions.

The collaboration will use PhysicsX's AI platform, which combines Large Physics Models (LPMs), advanced simulations and AI-powered engineering applications. Trained on simulation and experimental data, these models are designed to predict the behaviour of complex physical systems and help engineers evaluate design and operating decisions more quickly than conventional simulation methods. By combining these capabilities with Fortescue's operational data, the companies intend to address engineering challenges involving materials, equipment performance and industrial processes.

 

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PhysicsX will work directly with Fortescue's engineering and technology teams to integrate its platform into existing workflows and develop internal expertise in AI-assisted engineering. Jacomo Corbo, CEO and Co-founder of PhysicsX, said, "We're building a long-term technology partnership that goes beyond individual applications, embedding physics AI into the way industrial innovation happens." The agreement marks an expansion beyond the companies' initial research and development activities towards applications across Fortescue's wider mining and metals operations.

Ellie Coates, Director AI and IT at Fortescue, said, "We see significant potential in applying physics AI to high-value industrial problems across our business." The partnership aligns with Fortescue's wider efforts to develop renewable energy and zero-emissions technologies, including its Real Zero target to eliminate Scope 1 and 2 emissions from Australian terrestrial iron ore operations by the end of 2030. However, the announcement does not identify specific decarbonisation deployments, investment values or quantified environmental improvements. The partnership's sustainability contribution will depend on whether the technology delivers measurable gains in energy efficiency, resource use or emissions reduction.

 

Source: PhysicsX