The recent Swedish Mining Innovation and Research Day attracted all-time high interest. 150 registered participants gathered for panel discussions, lectures and the launch of the mining cluster’s new innovation agenda.
The audience included universities, industry, small and medium-sized enterprises and political decision-makers. Daniel Cios from the European Commission, which pursues policy issues in Brussels on a daily basis, said that the conference’s focus on knowledge exchange is key.
– It is unusual and highly valuable to have a conference with a pure focus on research and innovation in raw materials. The cluster’s new strategic agenda and the close collaboration between industry and academia here are important take-aways for understanding the needs and how they can be translated into effective policies and research programs.
Collaboration was center stage for several speakers when discussing how the cluster addresses current global shifts in sustainability, digitalization, electrification, talent attraction.
– We need to innovate at a wider scope. It’s not just about technology – in the future, social innovation will be key, said Åsa Allan deputy CEO at Kaunis Iron.
During the conference Svemin and Swedish Mining Innovation launched the fourth generation of Sweden’s strategic agenda for research and innovation, developed in collaboration with almost 100 representatives from academia, industry, authorities and non-profit associations.
– The agenda encapsulates the most important challenges to solve, and creates a clear direction for research and innovation work going forward, says Jenny Greberg, program director at Swedish Mining Innovation.
The conference was held on May 12 at Kulturens Hus in Luleå and is hosted by the strategic innovation programme Swedish Mining Innovation (funded by Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency and Formas) and mining- and metals trade association Svemin.
