The XIV International Mining Conference "Barents-Arctic Economic Partnership – a look into the Future" was held in Kirovsk. This year, industry experts exchanged views and experiences on the site in the context of sanctions restrictions. Mikhail Yurin, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, addressed the participants in the VKS format with a welcoming speech.
"Modern challenges, including working in the difficult natural and climatic conditions of the Arctic zone, the growing demands on the efficiency, safety and environmental friendliness of production processes, require the development of new technological solutions and domestic equipment, as well as strengthening cooperation between science, government and business. I am convinced that discussing these issues at the conference will allow us to develop practical solutions, share experiences and identify the most promising areas for further development of the mining industry, especially in the context of sustainable development of the Arctic region. I would like to thank all representatives of the industry for their responsible work, high professionalism and contribution to the development of the country's mineral resource base. I wish the conference participants productive work, constructive discussions and new achievements for the benefit of the Russian industry," said Mikhail Yurin.
The conference opened with a plenary session. Dmitry Titarenko, Deputy Minister of Arctic Development and Economy of the Murmansk Region, delivered a report on "The Murmansk Region is the flagship of the development of the modern Russian Arctic, prospects for the development of the region based on the development projects of the GPC of the Arctic."
The conference was attended by a delegation from the Republic of Belarus, headed by Alexander Komendant, First Deputy Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee. As part of the field program, the guests visited the BELAZ Technical Support Center in Apatity, where they got acquainted with the work on maintenance and adaptation of mining equipment to work in the Far North.
The conference also included a panel discussion on the development of Arctic investment projects in the mining industry. The session participants noted that in modern conditions, the implementation of projects for the extraction and processing of rare and rare earth metals (REM) is becoming a matter not so much of economic development as of technological sovereignty of the state. Increasing the volume of domestic production of REM contributes to reducing import dependence in critical industries, including the military-industrial complex and energy.
Thus, on behalf of Governor Andrey Chibis, the government of the Murmansk Region initiated a project to create a specialized industrial park. Artem Kuksa, General Director of the Regional Development Corporation, spoke in more detail about the work being carried out.
"The need to create an industrial park in the region has matured due to the need for modern infrastructure, where processing plants focused on the organization of deep processing of mineral raw materials will be located on one site. There is already an understanding of the potential locations for such a park and the list of necessary infrastructure. In addition, we see interest from companies that are ready to reorient existing production chains in favor of the region in the event of the launch of this site," said Artem Kuksa.
On the second day, the program of events included a number of sections and round tables: a strategic session on the impact of the Kola NPP-2 construction project on the development of the Murmansk region, which took place on the territory of the Nuclear Power Plant; a human resources section at the UIA branch in Apatity. An off-site program was organized for the guests with a visit to the minifab and the engineering center of the KSC RAS, as well as the production site of JSC NWFC.
The International Mining Conference "Barents-Arctic Economic Partnership – a Look into the Future" was organized by the Murmansk Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry / Severnaya Union under the patronage of the Supreme Mining Council of the Russian Federation with the support of the Murmansk Region Government.
/ Ministry of Arctic Development and Economy of the Murmansk Region /