Towards a Sector Programme for Industrial and Economic Development of the Region.

1. WP2,Minerals and Mining subgroupAnders Jonsson County Board, Umeå Ola Torstensen, County of Nordland, Bodö Jouni Pihlaja, Geol. Surv.Finland, Rovaniemi Lennart Widenfalk, Luleå Univ. Technology Towards a Sector Programme for Industrial and Economic Development of the Region. Many steps are taken within the individual countries but together we can be stronger

2. The Mineral and Mining Sector concerns: Industrial Minerals Aggregates Dimension Stone Ores The actors are Exploration companies Extractive industries Equipment suppliers Research institutes Universities Authorities

3. Exploration will not in itself generate big incomes Mining and exploitation will give important incomes locally Wages to employees, incomes to suppliers Infrastructure that will remain after a mine closure Taxes and fees locally and nationally Smelters are few and are such big investments that they will probably remain where they are just now A few aspects on the industry, local and economic development

4. The Mineral and Mining Sector of the Barents region is characterized by Hard rock technology; often steep and deep bodies An environment sensitive to mine waste and fumes Very varying legislation International markets and competition These characteristics form the basis for a sector programme

5. The sector programme we propose contain Cooperation within legislation Some specified R & D projects Some more general and wider projects within mining Development and strengthening of SMEs cooperation within the equipment and technology suppliers area Education

6. We propose a project with seminars for clarifying the legislations for interested groups. Maybe an important task for a Barents organisation. We also propose a similar project that looks at the legislation for environmental issues related to mining. Legislation varies from country to country and may be a great hinder for investments in exploration and exploitation. The changes of the mining acts of Finland and Sweden the last decades has been very successful.

7. Some specified R & D projects The development of vermiculite to an effective absorbent of oil spill (interest from all countries) The development of the technology for mine closures Exploration methods for orogenic gold deposits A promotion project for dimension stone like the just finished PNASTINA project. An extension in Sweden, Finland and Russia. (www.pnastina.se)

8. Some more general and wider projects within mining The mining environment. The development of safe deposition of mine waste. Monitoring of waste dams. Open cast mining turning into underground mining Exploration technology for deep seated deposits Promotion project for metal mineralizations in under- explored areas. (Similar to the Pnastina project)

9. Cooperation between suppliers of equipment and technology has started as a cooperation between Minerals & Mines Centre of Competence, Barents Business School, (both in Västerbotten) and Luleå University of Technology. One seminar in Kirovsk, 2004, and one in Norrbotten and Västerbotten in December 2005 Participants were Swedish and Finnish suppliers, representatives for Russian mining industries and Swedish mining companies LKAB and Boliden Very successful outcome and this is a project that is worthwhile an active support. Development and strengthening of SMEs within the equipment and technology suppliers area

10. Each country, oblast and republic have universities that can cooperate in education. In mining and metallurgy some educational cooperation has taken place between Luleå, Helsinki and Trondheim. In mining and applied geology cooperation between Luleå Univ. of Technology and Murmansk State Technical University in Apatity started in the late -90ies. Efficiency and competitiveness are key words for the survival and growth of the minerals and mines sector. The solution for the future is education

11. Educational system Going towards “Bologna” Bachelors 3 yrs - Mainly in Swedish Masters 2 yrs (+Bachelor) PhDs 4yrs changing to 3 yrs after the MSc International Masters: SAGM, School of Applied Geosciences and Mining from 2002 Started in cooperation with MSTU Rock and soil Engineering From the fall 2006 Exploration &Environmental Geosciences from 2005 Mineral Processing & Metallurgy from 2005 WWW.LTU.SE