Sandvik and Rio Tinto Partner on Autonomous Drilling Systems for Open-Pit Mining Sandvik and Rio Tinto have entered into a partnership to integrate the former's i-series surface drill rigs with the latter's Autonomous Drilling System. The initiative is designed to enhance safety, boost productivity, and improve system compatibility in open-pit mining by leveraging Rio Tinto's expertise in autonomous drilling and remote operations alongside Sandvik's AutoMine automation technology. The collaboration targets the creation of interoperability and autonomous functions for remote operations spanning multiple sites and multiple rigs. Testing will be managed from Rio Tinto's Operations Centre in Perth, Australia. Early stages will include development and testing at Sandvik's Test Pit in Finland, after which field trials will take place at Rio Tinto's sites in Western Australia. These trials will evaluate performance relative to production goals. Rio Tinto's iron ore operations, including Gudai-Darri, already employ comparable autonomous systems for remote monitoring and control of trucks, drills, and trains. Separately, Rio Tinto has started commissioning a $1.5bn expansion at its Complexe Arvida site in Quebec, Canada, which will utilize its low-carbon AP60 aluminium smelting technology. The commissioning process began in March and is expected to finish by the end of 2026. Once complete, all 96 pots will be operational, increasing the plant's capacity by roughly 160,000 tonnes of primary aluminium annually, bringing total AP60 production at the site to 220,000 tonnes. A new aluminium recycling facility is also planned for Arvida. In April 2026, Sandvik secured an order from Glencore for three DR413i rotary blasthole drill rigs to support the reopening of the Bajo de la Alumbrera copper mine in Argentina. 1. INTRODUCTION Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business - REPORT DESCRIPTION - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM - DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS - GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS 2. EXECUTIVE