Cooperating countries: Ghana, Austria

Coordinating institution: Montanuniversität Leoben

Project coordinator: Johann P. Mogeritsch, PhD

Partner institution: University of Mines and Technology

Project duration: 01.09.2026-31.08.2028

Budget: 40.000,00 €

Ghana, one of Africa’s leading gold-producing countries, increasingly depends on complex and highly variable transitional ores as easily processed deposits are exhausted. This growing variability complicates mineral-processing operations, reduces efficiency, and elevates environmental and economic risks, especially in the Tarkwa region, the country’s industrial mining center. At the same time, Ghana’s mineral-processing sector has not yet fully adopted digital methods, and local institutions often lack the tools, training, and infrastructure required for modern data-driven process optimization. AFRISIM@UMaT addresses these challenges by establishing a collaborative and capacity-building partnership between Montanuniversität Leoben (MUL) and the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT). The project aims to jointly develop digital modeling and simulation workflows that integrate geological, mineralogical, and metallurgical information into practical decision-support tools tailored to local conditions. A central objective is to embed these methods sustainably into UMaT’s research, teaching, and laboratory environment, ensuring that staff and students can independently apply and further develop digital approaches after the project concludes. The project combines the creation of a harmonized geometallurgical database with numerical simulations, machine-learning techniques, and laboratory validation. Through structured training modules, joint workshops, reciprocal mobility programs, and the co-development of teaching materials, AFRISIM@UMaT strengthens institutional capacity, promotes skills development among young researchers, and supports long-term academic cooperation. By enabling more efficient, transparent, and sustainable processing decisions, AFRISIM@UMaT directly contributes to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Beyond these impacts, the project lays the methodological and institutional foundation for future joint research initiatives and industry-oriented follow-up projects, supporting the digital transformation of Ghana’s mineral-resource sector.