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The VI International Mining Industry Conference of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region: View to the Future (IMIC BEAR) was held on 17-18. November 2016 in Kirovsk, Murmansk Region. The main topic of the Conference was «Innovations in Mining Industry & Competitiveness of Mining Companies». Traditionally it was organized under the auspices of the Non-profit Partnership “Russian Mining Operators” and with support of the Government of Murmansk Region in the framework of the V Murmansk International Business Week.

Organizers of the Conference are the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation; Government of the Murmansk Region; Kola Science Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Euro-Arctic Chamber of Commerce.

The Conference Goals:

·  analysis of the mining complex of the Russian Arctic (Arctic Zone of RF);

·   discussions of the problems of increasing the competitiveness of the mining complex of  BEAR;

·    discussions of  the possibilities of technical equipment of mining complex of the Russian Arctic using the  global experience

About 200 participants of mining, processing and related industries, manufacturers of mining equipment, as well as representatives of science, regional and municipal authorities took part in the Conference this year.  Among the conference participants there were representatives from Norway and Finland. For the first time specialists from the South Korea participated in the IMIC BEAR, who enjoyed special attention of the press and television.

The Conference participants have obtained a good opportunity to meet with CEOs and specialists of the mining companies of the Kola Peninsula, including  "PhosAgro" Group, MCC "EuroChem”, "Severstal” and "Norilsk Nickel" holdings. At the plenary session and during the topical sections, at B2B meetings, as well as informally during coffee breaks, the participants were able to share the innovative achievements in the mining industry, to present the mining technique for the Arctic and meet the CEOs and leading specialists of foreign companies and scientific institutions.

 

In the opinion of Russian and foreign participants, very productive negotiations were held during  B2B meetings, organized by the Northern Chamber of Commerce & Industry at the Conference this year.

The Trade Show  was working for 2 conference days where 10 companies from Russia, South Korea, Finland and Norway were exhibiting their goods and services. The exhibition attracted great interest of all the participants, visitors and guests of the Mining Conference.

Besides, two extracurricular events were organized in addition: a seminar “Quality and safety of construction as  one of the elements of accident-free operations at industrial enterprises of the Murmansk region” organized by the Ministry of  Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship of the Murmansk Region and a meeting “On establishing of the Territory for Advancing Socio-economic Development (TOSER) in the mono-industry town Kirovsk of the Murmansk Region”  organized by Kirovsk City Administration.

At the final plenary session it was observed that in order to ensure the  stable work of the mining complex of the region, a serious attention is required from both the regional government and business. Nowadays the main objectives are modernization and innovative transformation of mining production, stimulating the domestic manufacturing of  equipment and spare parts, using the technology for deep processing of natural and technogenic raw materials in order to produce globally competitive goods and high value-added products.

Participants of the closing plenary session voted for the decision to prepare the necessary materials for the VII International Conference “Mining Industry of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region: View to the Future” (IMIC BEAR) in the framework of the Murmansk International Business Week in  2017.

On results of Conference a resolution was adopted.