The organizers of the conference are Northern Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Murmansk Region), Kola Science Center of Russian Academy of Sciences (Apatity, Murmansk Region), Government of the Murmansk Region and Euro-Arctic Chamber of Commerce of the Barents Region. Among the main co-organizers and sponsors of the conference are such large mining enterprises of the Murmansk Region as OJSC “Apatit”, Kirovsk (Group of companies “PhosAgro”), OJSC “Kovdor Mining and Processing Plant”, Kovdor (Group of companies “EuroChem” ), OJSC “Olenegorsk Mining and Processing Plant” (Group of companies “Severstal resources”). The official media partner of the Conference is an international specialized scientific and technical trade journal «GORNAJA PROMYSHLENNOST» («MINING INDUSTRY»).
212 people were registered in the Mining Conference. More than 250 participants took part at the plenary meeting and topical sessions of the Conference including specialists and managers of departments of OJSC “Apatit”, OJSC “KGOK”, OJSC “OLCON” and Kola Science Center. Representatives of business society and governmental bodies of Finland, Norway, Switzerland participated the event.
Greetings and Addresses of Governor of the Murmansk Region Dmitry Dmitrienko, Murmansk Regional Duma in the person of Vice –Chairman Oleg Alexeev, Chairman of the Supreme Mining Council of the Non-profit Partnership “Russian Mining Operators” Yuriy Shafranik, Head of the Municipality of the City of Kirovsk Mikhail Gorbachev were announced during the Conference.
Representatives of business, science and authorities reported about current trends and prospects of the mining industry during the first day of the Conference, among them are Oleg Krapivin, Chairman of the Committee of Industrial Development, Nature and Environment of the Murmansk Region, Alexander Temnov, Head of the Department of Geology and Reprocessing of Minerals of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology RF, Konstatin Nikitin Director General of OJSC “Apatit”, Igor Melik-Gaikazov Executive, Director of OJSC “KGOK”, Alexander Popov, Director General of OJSC “Olcon”, Anatoly Kozyrev , Deputy Director of the Mining Institute of the Kola Science Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Terho Liikamaa, Chief Inspector of Mines, Finnish Safety and Chemical Agency (Tukes) etc.
During the second day of the Conference on the 11th of November, 2011 discussions on issues regarding development of the mining industry continued in five topical sessions devoted to exploration of minerals, innovations in ore mining equipment and technology, manufacturing of mineral concentrates, comprehensive processing technologies, economic planning and environmental safety of the mining industry in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region, social aspects related to operation of mining complexes, training of personnel. Most of the participants, about 80 people, visited the session “Social Aspects Related to Operation of Mining Complexes”.
It should be stressed that the 1st International Conference “Mining Industry – View to the Future” has become a new international arena for the discussions related to the development of the mining industry in the Arctic Region.
Owing to great interest to the subject of the Conference the organizers decided to hold the event annually.