José Fernando Sánchez-Junco, Chairman and CEO of MAXAM, chaired the table on the International Overview of the Industry in the 3rd edition of the "Sustainable Development of the Metallurgical Mining Industry" sessions organised by CONFEDEM.
Representatives from businesses, universities and the public sector met in the main hall of the Higher Technical School of Mining and Energy Engineering (ETSIME) of the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) in order to offer their different perspectives on the sustainable development of the metallurgical mining sector.
José Fernando Sánchez-Junco, Chairman and CEO of MAXAM, chaired the table “International Overview of the Metallurgical Mining Industry", which analysed the current state of the market. Sánchez-Junco started the session by stating his belief that the mining sector has the “most stringent standards in terms of risk prevention and occupational safety”, and that mining companies often implement “standards which go beyond the legal requirements in the countries where they operate."
“Mining is one of the most competitive sectors and has some of the most stringent standards in the world in terms of safety, prevention and environmental protection”, and also expressed his belief that “sustainable development of the extractive industry is crucial for both the evolution of the sector and the welfare of society." - Sánchez-Junco
The table, made up of Audra Walsh, Director General of Minas de Aguas Teñidas (MATSA), Mark Rachovides, President of Euromines, José Luis Tejera, Director of the Atlantic-Cooper-ETSIME Chair, Elena Laburu, Investment Manager of the Australian Trade Commission, and Isidro García, Trade Commissioner of the Embassy of Canada to Spain, focused on the recent drop in metal prices and the current situation of the global mining industry.
Audra Walsh opened the session with a short presentation on MATSA and indicated her absolute commitment to health and safety, with the ultimate goal being to ensure "zero accidents". Elena Laburu then referred to the “opportunities Australia offers for the mining industry” and stressed “the importance of uranium in the Australian extractive industry, even without the country having nuclear energy."
Mark Rachovides spoke of the possible consequences for the mining industry of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, stating that “mining must be a part of the future of Europe, we must ensure better coordination between member states in order to achieve optimal results as part of the Union”. José Luis Tejera used his speech to stress the “essential role of raw materials in society”, a comment which Isidro García extrapolated to Canada by stating that “80% of Canada's mining production is exported."
The event was brought to a close by Cristina Cifuentes, President of Madrid Regional Government, who stressed the importance of meetings such as this in order to know the current situation of the sector and the arguments for its sustainability, competitiveness and future development.
MAXAM - maxamcorp.com
MAXAM is a global technology company, specializing in the design, development, manufacture and application of energy materials. It structures its activity in four business units: blasting solutions for mining, quarries and civil works; cartridges and gun powders for use in hunting and recreational shooting; products and systems for the defence and security sector; and production of key primary products in nitro chemical activity.
Founded by Alfred Nobel in 1872, today MAXAM employs more than 6,500 people on five continents, in 80 industrial facilities, with subsidiaries in more than 50 countries and commercial operations in over 100 countries. At the close of the 2018 financial year (31 March 2018), the company’s turnover stood at over 1.14 billion euros.