http://www.canadianminingjournal.com/
As part of its “Innovation Agenda” the federal government announced last year that it would invest $800 million over four years to support research and innovation in five key sectors of Canada’s economy.
The identity of those sectors is still uncertain, but with the funding expected to flow starting this year, we’ll soon find out if mining is one of them.
What is certain is that Canada’s mining sector could use more investment: We only spend about $550 million annually on mining R&D and innovation compared with $2.8 billion in Australia.
“Unless we have the proper level of investment in research and innovation we’re going to start losing our leadership role in the world in mining,” says Vic Pakalnis, associate vice-president of Laurentian Mining Innovation and Technology (LMIT) organization in Sudbury, Ont.
“Whenever there’s a down cycle, it’s tough to get money invested from the industry and that’s where government has to look at its policies and also do some investing.” With the potential of new investment to come, CMJ decided to look at the mining R&D and innovation that’s happening in Ontario, the focus of our Feb/Mar issue. Here’s a look at just some of the activity and organizations doing the work.
Camiro
The Canadian Mining Industry Research Organization (Camiro) was established in the mid-1980s with a focus on safety following rockburst incidents in Sudbury-area mines. The collaborative research organization ran the Deep Mining Research Consortium (DMRC) for nine years until the program wrapped up last year.
For the rest of this article, click here: http://www.canadianminingjournal.com/features/snapshot-mining-rd-activity-ontario/