Funding to boost technology transfer in mining industry

The Parker Centre is getting into the translation business, thanks to supplementary funding from the Federal Government.

But rather than translating English to Japanese or Korean, its translators will interpret the minerals industry’s needs for researchers and translate research proposals and outputs for industry clients.

The Centre has won an additional $0.9 million in the latest round of funding from the Cooperative Research Centre's (CRC) Program.

This money will allow the Centre to develop two initiatives to expand its technology transfer activities. The first is to engage“translators”, to be known as Technology Application Advisors.

“Whilst we work in the same industry and focus on the same areas as operators and researchers, we often speak different languages, we have different cultures and different drivers,” says Parker Centre CEO Mark Woffenden.

The Technology Application Advisors will bridge this language and cultural gap so that knowledge can cross more easily in both directions.

“The advisors will be people who understand the operating and financial drivers in industry and also have an affinity for research,” says Mr Woffenden.

“They will be highly regarded by both researchers and industry.” The advisors will help translate research proposals and research results into the economic and operating language of the minerals industry.

They will assist the Parker Centre’s research leaders address industry concerns such as the financial benefits, the operating practicality, the upstream and downstream consequences and operator training requirements.

Mr Woffenden says transferring technology to mineral processing plants needs to involve much more than handing over a thick, detailed scientific report.

“It’s a social process, it’s working with people consistently to define our industry clients’ needs for our researchers and to ensure the full benefits of the research are realised by our clients.”

This initiative also has industry support. Six large mineral processing companies and six smaller companies have committed $675,000 over three years. In addition, three of the Centre’s research partners will provide $1.2 million of in-kind support, bring total funding to $2.7 million.

Major sponsors AngloGold Australasia, BHP Billiton, Alcan International, Queensland Alumina, Rio Tinto and WMC Resources are Parker Centre partners.

Anaconda, Bulong, Iluka, Peko Rehabilitation Project, Straits Resources and Titan Resources are the new companies on the block.

“We are particularly pleased that these small to medium sized enterprises are also prepared to contribute,” Mr Woffenden says.

The second technology transfer initiative is to research the application of flowsheeting computer tools to providing clients and researchers with an improved understanding of the implications of research outputs for an entire mineral processing operation.