Inaugural collaborators forum held to encourage and enhance partnerships for greater impact in mining research and development
Partners from various research and development (R&D) organisations met at the Mandela Mining Precinct (MMP) in Johannesburg, on Wednesday 27 July, to share knowledge and discuss key issues affecting the various partnerships at the organisation’s inaugural collaborator’s forum.
The focus of the collaborator’s forum is to share relevant information and enhance the ways in which the MMP and its collaborators operate to ensure the greatest possible impact from the R&D conducted for the mining industry.
The MMP, a public-private partnership between the Department of Science and Innovation and Minerals Council South Africa (representing the private industry) operates as a “hub-and-spoke model”. The MMP is the management and facilitation hub and is supported by several collaborating partners such as universities, science councils and industry partners, which are the research spokes.
“Fostering healthy and effective partnerships is one of our key values at the MMP. We value the contribution of our R&D partners in carrying out our mandate. The collaborator’s forum will be a platform to share knowledge, lessons learned and discuss key issues among our collaborators to ensure that these partnerships deliver real value and impact for the mining industry,” says MMP Director, Johan Le Roux.
Addressing the forum, Le Roux, shared the MMPs objectives, vision, and mission as well as the progress made so far with the organisation’s activities. He thanked the partners for their R&D contributions and encouraged them to continue striving for excellence and efficiency in all their activities, thus ensuring that the team delivers on its mandate to stakeholders.
Some of the issues raised by attendees during the forum include the importance of finding innovative ways for more effective knowledge dissemination about available products, technologies and the outcomes of projects; the critical need for access to a test mine to allow for on-site testing of concepts; and research outcomes in a real mining environment.
Attendees gave positive feedback on the value of such a forum and encouraged MMP leadership to continue with such sessions, possibly incorporating seminars where research outcomes can be shared to further enhance and build on these collaborative partnerships for the benefit of mining R&D in the country.
