30
6 COLLABORATIONS AND RESEARCH CENTRES AND SOME
ECONOMIC OUTCOMES
Canada and Australia have world class R&D mining centres, including Canada’s 10-year
old Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI), Australia’s 20-year old Minerals
Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), The Australian Centre for Sustainable
Mining Practices (ACSMP), and many others. South Africa have again re-embraced the challenge and in 2018 opened their own version, the Mandela Mining Precinct (MMP).
Figure 5 below illustrates how Australia identified how to leverage its mineral wealth
together with the opportunities available through the implementation of the necessary interventions, including R&D, to promote growth and reduce barriers [8]. Through transitioning its economy more towards mining it benefitted from all the related linkages and other
positives that accompany the process, including development of relevant expertise (knowledge economy) and related industrial aspects. The mining industry is now Australia’s main
economic engine, generating $112 billion or 50% of Australia’s total exports in 2007 and
increasing at over $1billion a year. Tax contributions exceeded $7 billion in 2007 and it is
estimated that the industry accounts for over 19% of Australia’s fixed and natural capital
[14] & [2].
As is well known, Canada has also long been a top mining nation in mineral production, mining finance, mining services and supplies, and sustainability and safety. However,
there are signs that this leadership position is slipping, which has the potential to jeopardise
Canada’s ability to attract FDI and seize new opportunities for growth.
Australia’s mining supply sector has surpassed Canada’s in 2015. Mining innovation dollars are steadily flowing out of Canada to countries such as Australia, Germany and South
Africa [16]. In response, Canadian initiatives have also advanced further, with a new ‘supercluster’ proposal, CLEER (Clean, Low-energy, Effective, Engaged and Remediated), aimed
at powering clean growth through mining innovation. If successful, this initiative would
tackle the challenges of water use, energy intensity and environmental footprint, with aggressive targets of at least a 50% reduction in each area by 2027. Additionally, the research initiative would make several key contributions to the Canadian economy [16].
Africa is already a resource rich continent and dependent upon mining for a considerable
period, with the challenge being to leverage those resources further, to not only diversify the
economy, but also grow mining’s contribution to its full potential (linkages included). In the
long-term, this is best served through quality education, R&D and innovation.
Figure 4. Current Canadian mining engineering situation [5].
400
1600
1400
300
1200
250
""'
200
800
150
100
400
50
200
- Gr~ed
-Masters -
Doctors -
fnroled(Secondary/1\t.ls)
6 COLLABORATIONS AND RESEARCH CENTRES AND SOME
ECONOMIC OUTCOMES
Canada and Australia have world class R&D mining centres, including Canada’s 10-year
old Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI), Australia’s 20-year old Minerals
Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), The Australian Centre for Sustainable
Mining Practices (ACSMP), and many others. South Africa have again re-embraced the challenge and in 2018 opened their own version, the Mandela Mining Precinct (MMP).
Figure 5 below illustrates how Australia identified how to leverage its mineral wealth
together with the opportunities available through the implementation of the necessary interventions, including R&D, to promote growth and reduce barriers [8]. Through transitioning its economy more towards mining it benefitted from all the related linkages and other
positives that accompany the process, including development of relevant expertise (knowledge economy) and related industrial aspects. The mining industry is now Australia’s main
economic engine, generating $112 billion or 50% of Australia’s total exports in 2007 and
increasing at over $1billion a year. Tax contributions exceeded $7 billion in 2007 and it is
estimated that the industry accounts for over 19% of Australia’s fixed and natural capital
[14] & [2].
As is well known, Canada has also long been a top mining nation in mineral production, mining finance, mining services and supplies, and sustainability and safety. However,
there are signs that this leadership position is slipping, which has the potential to jeopardise
Canada’s ability to attract FDI and seize new opportunities for growth.
Australia’s mining supply sector has surpassed Canada’s in 2015. Mining innovation dollars are steadily flowing out of Canada to countries such as Australia, Germany and South
Africa [16]. In response, Canadian initiatives have also advanced further, with a new ‘supercluster’ proposal, CLEER (Clean, Low-energy, Effective, Engaged and Remediated), aimed
at powering clean growth through mining innovation. If successful, this initiative would
tackle the challenges of water use, energy intensity and environmental footprint, with aggressive targets of at least a 50% reduction in each area by 2027. Additionally, the research initiative would make several key contributions to the Canadian economy [16].
Africa is already a resource rich continent and dependent upon mining for a considerable
period, with the challenge being to leverage those resources further, to not only diversify the
economy, but also grow mining’s contribution to its full potential (linkages included). In the
long-term, this is best served through quality education, R&D and innovation.
Figure 4. Current Canadian mining engineering situation [5].
400
1600
1400
300
1200
250
""'
200
800
150
100
400
50
200
- Gr~ed
-Masters -
Doctors -
fnroled(Secondary/1\t.ls)