Laeeque Daneshmend

Emeritus Chair in Mine-Mechanical Engineering, Queen's University

Laeeque provides technology consulting services to a broad array of clients in the global mining industry, building on over three decades of experience in the application of advanced technologies for mechanization, automation, and digital transformation of mining systems.

In his academic career, Laeeque was the Noranda-Falconbridge Chair in Mine-Mechanical Engineering at Queen’s University until 2025, previously serving as Head of the Mining Department, as well as Deputy Provost of the university. Complementing his academic career, he co-founded Aquila Mining Systems Ltd. – a pioneer in the development of intelligent systems for blasthole drills and cable shovels used in open-pit mining; Caterpillar Inc. eventually acquired Aquila.

He was a founding member of the McGill Centre for Intelligent Machines, and has worked on manufacturing automation as well as broader applications of robotics and artificial intelligence. Space robotics was the focus of much of his early career, including research contracts with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA), MD-Robotics, as well as the Canadian Space Agency.

Laeeque holds a B.Sc. (Honours) in Electronic Engineering from Southampton University, England, and a Ph.D. and D.I.C. in Mechanical Engineering, with specialization in Robotics and Automation, from Imperial College, London, England.