Groups collaborate on mining research

The nature of mining research in Canada is changing as industry, government and universities pool their resources and expertise, says John Udd, director of Mining Research Laboratories for Energy Mines and Resources. Over the past decade, Canadian universities have formed partnerships in areas of specialization or excellence in order to overcome increasing pressure to close or merge their mining programs, he says. McGill University and Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, for example, are working together to develop new techniques for automation and robotization in mining.

Industry, financed mainly by the federal-provincial Mineral Development Agreements (MDAs), is forming national and provincial committees such as the Mining Technology Council of Canada (MITEC) to co-ordinate some of their research needs.

The government’s direct role in mining research is declining, especially at the provincial level. The federal government, through the Canadian Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology (CANMET), spends about $35 million annually on mining research and development (R&D), Udd says.

Altogether, Canada spends about $100 million on mining research every year.

By international comparison, Canada ranks among the lowest that spends R&D dollars. While Sweden spends about 2.91% of its gross domestic product on R&D, Canada spends less than half that amount.

By the year 2000, Canada is expected to spend about 2.5% of its GDP on R&D. In the field of mining research, these dollars are likely to be put toward innovations involving, among other things, mechanization, automation, improved underground environments and mine support systems, Udd says.