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Research & Development
The extractive industry is one of the base industries in Europe,
and it provides the material base for many other industrial
sectors in Europe. It contributes to base industries as well
as to service and high-tech industries.
The extractive industry in Europe has undergone considerable
change over the past decades and in order to stay competitive
in comparison to its non-European competitors it has undertaken
major investments and change of technology. More and more
the extractive industry is using remote by controlled and
automated technology and is thereby increasing its efficiency,
but also the safety at its workplaces. In doing so the sector
has also become in many areas a top technology supplier globally.
In order to ensure that this remains so in the future and
that workplaces are also secured for the future, R & D
is one of the central functions for this industry, as indeed
for many other sectors.
Indeed, the extractive industry has to deal with various areas
where continuous improvements are required:
- the efficient extraction and production which includes the
strive to obtain more mineral or metal from the ores and to
optimised processes in order to use as little raw materials
as possible during the process and to minimise effluents from
the processes;
- the reduction of the impact on the environment from the
processes and its effluents and the develoment of optimal
and cost-effective methods of rehabilitation for the land
after the extractive process;
- the increase of computer assisted process management in
order to increase efficiency and to increase safety at the
workplaces;
- the transfer of aerospace technology in the exploration
and environmental impact assessment phase of the extractive
processes;
- the development of new products and product applications
for metals and minerals including new designs which allow
easy reuse or recycling of the materials;
- the evaluation of processes and management tools of other
industrial sectors for the application in the extractive industry
and to study the possible transfer of extractive industry
developments in other industrial sectors such as construction,
tunnelling etc.
Therefore the European extractive industry has established
a European Mineral Resources RTD Council (EMiReC). It is the
task of this Council to establish the research priorities
for the sector and to give guidance to researchers from industry,
academia and other areas dealing with research and development.
It is the task of the Council to encourage research in such
a way that the long-term sustainable development of the sector
can be guaranteed.
The Council meets at least once per year in order to establish
the priorities and to discuss measures to foster the research
and development in the industry.
Furthermore Euromines is a member of the European Technology
Platform on Sustainable Mineral Resources (ETP SMR). The platform
was created in preparation of the European Seventh Framework
Programme (2007-2013) for funding research and technical development.
One of its first realisations was drafting a Strategic Research
Agenda for the European Minerals Industries. Euromines has
actively contributed to writing this draft. For more information
Euromines members are requested to contact the Secretariat.
Additional information on the ETP SMR can also be found at
www.etpsmr.org
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