Collaborateto
innovate
The long-term
need for research
partnerships
Jonathan Law
Director, Minerals Down Under
National Research Flagship
CSIRO
The CSIRO’s National Research Flagships program forms
large-scale multidisciplinary research partnerships with
Australian universities and research institutions, the private
sector and international organisations, through which
it aims to bring scientific solutions that help progress
Australia’s important national objectives. Within the
resources industry, the CSIRO’s
Minerals Down Under Flagship
works across the minerals value chain to grow the nation’s
resource base by increasing productivity and reducing its
environmental footprint.
In this article,
Minerals Down Under’s
Director Jonathan Law
considers what significant issues challenge today’s Australian
resources industry and what can be tackled differently in
the future to lessen strains between industry’s commercial
imperatives and society’s need for ongoing wealth from its
mineral endowment.
The growing population and shifting dynamics of the global
economy have put all natural resources at the centre of political,
economic, social and environmental debate. Nowhere has this
debate been more polarised than in the Australian minerals
domain where national and commercial interests meet and
compete on the global stage.
The distribution and development of these resources has
shaped our nation. The future of this important industry and its
contribution to the national economy rests on our ability to find
new deposits and attract capital and exploration investment.
‘
Earth systems’ and the global economy are inextricably linked
and changes to these systems have far reaching implications.
Our iron ore exports, for example, drive growth in Western
Australia but also feed steel mills that generate employment and
drive greenhouse gas emissions around the globe. In a world of
uncertainty, a strong knowledge base is essential to inform
effective decision-making.
Photo courtesy of BC Iron
Minesite 2013
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