The minerals industry is an active participant in the research undertaken in Australia to improve operating efficiency, safety and environmental outcomes as well as to develop new methods for searching for new mineral deposits and to introduce new mineral extraction techniques and minerals processing technologies. One of the growing areas of industry research focus is on ensuring improved sustainable development outcomes associated with minerals extraction and marketing throughout the full life cycle, commonly known as the social licence to operate and market.
Research and innovation in the minerals sector is undertaken in a variety of ways. Individual companies develop innovative practices and tools on a day-to-day basis in order to implement continuous improvement in their operations. The minerals industry also has examples of co-ordinated research approaches which are fully managed by the industry itself, such as the Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) or in association with governments, such as ACARP’s COAL21 initative.
A large proportion of the research is undertaken by way of Co-operative Research Centres (CRCs) such as the Co-operative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies and specialist research collaborations which receive their majority funding from minerals industry associations and company contributions, such as the Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development.
Sixty-four Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) have been established and supported through the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program. CRCs are devoted to strengthening collaborative links between industry, research organisations and government agencies to achieve real outcomes of national, economic and social significance.