CIM on Innovation in Mining: get the brightest from south of the equator in the room

Innovation in Mining was the topic of the last session I attended at the CIM Edmonton Conference.   I have written extensively about what was said in the session at this link. 

Meanwhile here are a few highlights from my long article on what was said in Edmonton on innovation in mining:

• Mining innovation seems to occur in spurts of punctuated evolution.

• Mining innovation occurs most rapidly in times of pressure.

• A sustained culture of mining innovation is possible, but very difficult to maintain.

• Mixing people of diverse disciplines and culture promotes innovation: they bring together the threads of ideas that just need to be joined to spark that one good innovation;

• Some people are natural innovators—they come up with new ideas whatever the situation—they just need to be given fertile soil to plant their new ideas.

• Before you can innovate, you need to know and understand almost everything there is to know about the subject.

• It is easier to innovate at mines in Africa, Australia, or South America than in Canada:  south of the equator they have a greater need to progress and are less resistant to change than a comfortable, complacent domestic mining industry.

And so on.  See more on my take on Quality, Decision Making,  and Value Engineering at the links provided–they are really all the same subject. 

Let me know if you innovate successfully at your mine.