The VI International Conference "Mining Industry in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region: View to the Future” was held in Kirovsk, Murmansk Region, Russia, on the 17 – 18 of November, 2016.

The main topic was  «Innovations in Mining Industry & Competitiveness of Mining Companies»

Traditionally the conference run under the auspices of Supreme Mining Council of the Non-profit Partnership “Russian Mining Operators” and was supported by the Government of the Murmansk Region within V Murmansk International Business Week.

Among organizers of the conference were CCI of Russian Federation, Government of the Murmansk Region, Kola Science Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Euro-Arctic Chamber of Commerce.

The Conference Goals were:

-          analysis of the mining complex of the Russian Arctic (Arctic Zone of RF);

-          discussions of the problems of increasing the competitiveness of the mining complex of  BEAR;

-          discussions of  the possibilities of technical equipment of mining complex of the Russian Arctic using the  global experience

 More than 150 specialists from mining, processing and related sectors, mining equipment manufactures, scientists, State and Municipal authority representatives took participation I the conference. There were guests from Norway and Finland. For the first time specialists from South Korea participated in IMIC BEAR and they were objects of attention of mass media.

The Conference participants were able to share the achievements from the innovation in the mining industry, to introduce mining equipment for the Arctic and meet with managers and leading specialists of foreign companies and scientific organizations, as well as meet the CEOs and specialists of mining companies of the Kola Peninsula, within the PhosAgro, EuroChem, Severstal and Norilsk Nickel group of companies and consortiums. Participants discussed different issues of mutual interest both in business atmosphere (at Plenary session and working sections, roundtable discussions and exhibition)  and informal networking.

According with the Russian and foreign participants feedback this year B2B meetings organized by NCCI were especially fruitful.

The Trade-show, that was working during two days of the Conference, attracted strong interest of participants and represented 10 companies including South Korean, Finnish and Norwegian companies.

Two extracurricular events were held within the Conference: seminar “Quality and Safety of Construction as one of the Accident-free Operation Elements of Industrial Enterprises in the Murmansk Region” that was organized by the Ministry of Construction and Territorial Development of the Murmansk Region and round-table meeting “Formation of Territory of advanced social and economic development (TOSER) in single-industry municipality Kirovsk, Murmansk Region” organized by Kirovsk Administration.

At the final Plenary Session it was pointed out, that serious attention from Region authorities and business is needed for stable Mining Complex working. In current situation main goals are modernization and  innovative reorganization of mining operations, stimulation of domestic equipment and repair parts production using advanced processing technologies of natural and industry-related raw materials for competitive production with high added value.

Decision taken by Plenary Session participants was about preparation for the holding of VII International Conference "Mining Industry in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region: View to the Future” in the framework of the VI Murmansk International Business Week in 2017.