– Finland’s mining industry is part of an international field, which will show strongly during the EuroMining 2015 trade fair in May. Our mining industry operates under the same principles as in any other part of the world, so discussion of the field’s challenges and possibilities must be discussed both from a global and Finnish perspective. Metal prices and general willingness or unwillingness to invest are reflected in Finland just like any other place. Finland’s lengthy permit practices and diverse appeal options have their own twists, either hindering or completely eliminating the making of investment decisions. On the other hand, a good level of basic knowledge and competence together with excellent ore potential form a permanent lure for mining companies. Solid infrastructure also plays a key role, says retired Director General Elias Ekdahl of the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK).

– The market situation of the mining industry is challenging this year, but maintaining customer relationships and future customer contacts still require constant presence. Even if new mine projects have been put on hold, the already discovered deposits have not disappeared. Before or later, once the market situation improves their exploitation will continue full on. This also shows in the fact that the share of foreign exhibitors at the EuroMining trade fair is increasing. 20 percent of direct exhibitors are currently foreign. In addition to Finland, actors in the field are coming from Australia, South Africa, Great Britain, Austria, Canada, China, Sweden, Germany and Turkey, says Project Manager Mikael Wänskä of Tampere Trade Fairs Ltd.

The EuroMining trade fair will assemble professionals of the mining and quarrying industry, geology, enriching and process industry as well as metallurgy under one roof. The event will offer a much anticipated forum for the field’s actors to establish international contacts, present new products and discuss future solutions. The trade fair offers a view on the key prospects of the whole production chain. Tampere Trade Fairs Ltd is organising this event for the second time in co-operation with the Finnish Association of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers and Green Mining programme of Tekes. The product groups of the EuroMining trade fairs are: drilling, charging, transportation and logistics, supporting, filling, mining geology, excavation, measurement, planning, quarrying methods, rock mechanics, crushing, drainage, communications, energy supply and efficiency, maintenance, health and safety at work, enriching and processing, mineral separation, sampling and analysing, storage, recruitment and training, environmental protection, metal processing, Green Mining, processing and automation, life cycle services, ‘Mining contractor’ and outsourced services.

FURTHER INFORMATION: www.euromining.fi