The Future of aggregates: smarter digital operations

The aggregates industry today is at a pivotal moment. While traditionally defined by hands-on expertise, it is now being reshaped by digital technologies, new operating expectations, and rising pressure on productivity.  

For Jaakko Huhtapelto, Vice President of Technology and Digital Business, Aggregates at Metso, the driving force behind this change isn’t the push around AI or even sustainability alone. It’s the day-to-day need for smarter, simpler and more reliable operations — especially as the landscape is facing skill shortages and growing performance demands. 

Continue reading to explore this expert perspective, as Jaakko shares where he sees the aggregates industry heading, how digital technologies are helping teams work smarter amid labor shortages, and how these improvements naturally support more sustainable operations. 

Do more with less

Connectivity and digitalization within this space has existed for years, but their value is evolving. What’s changing now is how equipment intelligence moves from simply collecting data to turning it into action — and that shift is where digitalization becomes truly transformative. 

Jaakko’s team focuses on three areas of expertise where technology can help solving the key customer challenges.  

1. Keeping the equipment up and running in the form of AI-powered, predictive maintenance 
2. Improving production performance with advanced machine vision and software for autonomous setting control for production balancing 
3. Experience: Making things super easy for customers and eventually saving time 

“Incorporation of modern technologies into the real world has followed the same principles throughout history,” says Jaakko. “Do more with less.”

Predict, plan, perform

Powered by real-time data, AI and automated recommendations has become one of the most impactful digital capabilities in aggregates. Not only can it predict when maintenance will be required, it also connects with the wider inventory network. It is digitalization that brings these two worlds together. 

”This is the area of biggest opportunity with digital technologies — understanding what’s going on with the equipment real-time, and convert this understanding into actions at the site,” says Jaakko. ”What are the maintenance activities that are needed today and tomorrow to ensure reliable operations next week, next month, and so on.” 

By providing early warnings and data-backed insights, predictive maintenance directly strengthens reliability, reduces the risk of major breakdowns and enables more accurate maintenance planning. At the same time, it improves the logistics of spare and wear parts by ensuring that the right components are available when needed, rather than relying on overstocking or reactive ordering. 

When condition-based insights are paired with smarter inventory planning, operators gain a clearer view of what actions to take and when. The result? Higher uptime, fewer disruptions and a shift from reactive to proactive — turning real data into decisions that keep production running smoothly. 

Bridging the skills shortage with smart solutions 

“We need to deliver better experiences on running assets and scaling that tacit operations knowledge on-site.” 

One of the biggest pressures the industry now faces is a shrinking skilled workforce, and what to do about that capability gap moving forward. Operations need to run reliably and efficiently, despite having fewer experts on site.  

“Though it is difficult to see a world where there’s no people working at the site, there’s a huge opportunity to become more efficient through teleoperations,” says Jaakko. “This is where different OEMs need to collaborate from an ecosystem point of view going forward and create seamless products for the customers.” 

To bridge this capability gap, digital solutions play a key role. This includes spreading expert knowledge across multiple sites, guiding operators through maintenance and operational tasks, enabling teleoperations that reduce the need for constant physical presence, and offering more intuitive user experiences that shorten training time. Working together, these tools can help teams operate with greater confidence and consistency, even as skilled labor becomes increasingly scarce. 

When digitalization and sustainability intersect

Even if sustainability is not necessarily the primary driver for an aggregate’s producer, digitalization naturally supports resource-efficient operations. 

By optimizing throughput, digital solutions already help reduce energy consumption. For example, predictive maintenance minimizes component waste and prevents premature failures. In addition, remote support capabilities reduce unnecessary service visits, and improved reporting tools streamline compliance with environmental and regulatory requirements. These practical improvements blend productivity with sustainability, increasing efficiency at the same time. 

“Sustainability-related needs almost always involve a technology element, and what they have in common is that they’re practical by nature,” says Jaakko. ”They help customers run better operations, and as a result, those improvements also reduce overall environmental impact.” 

From electric-driven equipment to new reporting expectations and the pressure to reduce carbon footprint, these shifts all point to the same reality: sustainability grows from practical digitalization improvements. 

From waste to resource 

“Recycling aggregates is circularity at its best, and demand for it will only continue to grow. At Metso, we aim to support this by providing the best technologies for our customers to re-use these materials.” 

On the OEM side, recycling component materials such as wear parts is something that is happening every day. The challenge here lies in logistics. Recycling becomes viable only when large enough volumes make it efficient, as there needs to be enough critical mass for it to be sustainable.  

This is where digitalization steps in. Utilizing smarter solutions such as tracking and smarter planning ultimately aid circularity, and move the industry in this direction. 

Simplifying the user experience

Digital solutions should feel as intuitive as the apps we use every day — that’s the new benchmark. Operators are now expecting this, which is redefining how digital services are designed. For small entrepreneurs especially, a simplified digital experience can save hours each week - time that can instead be spent focusing on core business. 

From accessing equipment health to ordering parts or adjusting process settings, user experience is no longer an afterthought: it is a competitive differentiator. 

Turning technology into tangible value

Metso’s digital technologies are making a measurable impact, as each focus area can be translated into practical customer benefits:

• Improved uptime and reliability through predictive maintenance: Customers avoid costly unplanned stops and extend component life.  
• Up to 10% better throughput with Metso’s performance software: Autonomous setting adjustments and machine-vision technology ensure the plant runs at optimal efficiency. 
• Time savings through intuitive digital experiences: Every hour saved from easier monitoring, ordering or troubleshooting is time given back to operators — and that’s the most valuable resource.
   

The balance between listening and leading

Jaakko’s view on this is clear, success will come from balancing two parallel commitments: continuing to invest in emerging technologies and listening to customers more closely than ever. Metso’s ambition is to continue bridging the two worlds of technology innovation and genuine customer need, and find the best solutions for each operation. 

“Metso is the industry leader in aggregates, so we feel obliged to take those leaps of faith and invest in areas that still hold a high level of uncertainty,” says Jaakko. “But of course, we don’t do that if it disconnects us from our customers. We want to listen and truly hear what our customers need and then connect this with what’s possible from our technology.” 

This balanced approach is especially critical as the industry enters what he describes as “an inflection point.” Aggregate producers are becoming more open to digital tools, automation and new ways of working, and this decade is proving to be a turning point. 

“The world will look quite different in five to ten years,” says Jaakko. “Though this is a relatively traditional industry, it is ready to adopt new ways of working. To invest in new technologies while listening to customers is a balancing act, and this is super exciting when I think about the opportunities Metso has in helping customers reach their full potential.”

Progress through partnership 

With Jaakko’s expert perspective in mind, Metso’s technology and digital business teams are focused on one mission: delivering real-world value that helps customers run safer, smoother and more productive operations.  

Teleoperations will become more common as producers look to address labor shortages and improve safety. Autonomous equipment functions will expand, while AI-driven decision support will increasingly guide production adjustments, maintenance priorities and even daily workflow planning. The customer experience will also continue to evolve, with digital interactions becoming more integrated and intuitive across the entire lifecycle of equipment ownership. 

As for Metso, this transformation represents a significant opportunity: to help customers operate with greater confidence, to empower teams with technology that amplifies their capabilities, and to guide the industry toward a future where efficiency, resilience and sustainability can be achieved — all at the same time. That’s why, together, we are the partner for positive change.