Bringing credibility to CEMI.

Laurentian University's Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) continues to gain momentum with the appointment of Dr. Peter Kaiser as the founding executive director.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Kaiser, who possesses credibility within the international mining industry was acknowledged as the logical choice after an extensive six month search by a subcommittee of the CEMI Advisory Board. As a professor in mining engineering and chair of rock mechanics and ground control at Laurentian University, Kaiser will parlay his talents and leadership skills into CEMI by focusing on deep mining, mine process engineering, environment, exploration, telerobotics and automation.

"My role as founding executive director is to deliver a research sector that will become the backbone of the university and the industrial cluster," Kaiser says.

"I believe that every industrial cluster has to have a state of-the-art research innovation centre as the key ingredient."

Kaiser has built a reputation in the global mining industry and has written approximately 150 papers in technical and scientific publications with respect to geomechanics. He is the president of Mining Innovation Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO), a centre that has provided numerous solutions to the mining challenges.

"... Peter Kaiser, with his knowledge, experience and background. is an excellent fit to pull this together and make it very successful," Mike Romaniuk, vice president of Xstrata Nickel operations says.

"He has credibility around the world which will help tremendously ... in attracting the people we need."

In December 2006, Xstrata Nickel matched CVRD Inco's $5 million in start-up funding, while the province contributed $10 million.

"All of us are looking forward to continuing to apply some pressure to get the federal government to step up and become an equal contributor," Romaniuk says.

The intent is for CEMI to be a world-class facility for mine research and innovation. As the Sudbury mining camp matures new technology, particularly in deep mining and geophysics, will be required to bring projects to fruition, Romaniuk says. The technology born here will have positive global implications, which can only bring credibility to Sudbury's mining centre.

Fred Stanford CVRD Inco's president of Ontario operations echoes that sentiment.

CVRD Inco possesses some of the deepest base metal mines in the world and certainly, "there are challenges in mining at depth," Standford says.

CEMI's mandate will be to support the community and industry through new knowledge and the attraction of qualified personnel in the North for the North.

The benefits CEMI can bring parallel that of Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Kaiser says.

Employing credible professionals within CEMI will build critical mass where companies interested in research will bring their own projects to the centre.

This can only enhance initiatives already taken by Paul Dunn, director of Mining Innovation Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation, Dr. Greg Baiden in telerobotic and automation and Dr. Carl Gibson who is working with geomechanics in mine design.

By KELLY LOUISEIZE

Northern Ontario Business