"Industrial Minerals: A World of Possibilities - From quarry to high-tech", Brussels, 6 June 2002 IMA-Europe 2002 Conference, hosted by DG Enterprise under the Patronage of Mr Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner IMA 2002 Conference Proceedings Industrial Minerals: a World of Possibilities From quarry to high-tech Under the Patronage of Mr Erkki Liikanen Member of the European Commission Responsible for Enterprise and the Information Society Brussels, 6 June 2002 Venue: Charlemagne Building, European Commission "Industrial Minerals: A World of Possibilities - From quarry to high-tech", Brussels, 6 June 2002 IMA-Europe 2002 Conference, hosted by DG Enterprise under the Patronage of Mr Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner - 2 - "Industrial Minerals: A World of Possibilities - From quarry to high-tech", Brussels, 6 June 2002 IMA-Europe 2002 Conference, hosted by DG Enterprise under the Patronage of Mr Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner Table of contents Foreword by Mr Erkki Liikanen, Member of the European Commission at the inaugural dinner of IMA's Awareness campaign (5 June 2002)…………………...5 Introductory Remarks by the IMA President ……………………………………….9 Opening remarks by Mr L. Montoya, DG Enterprise ……………………………..11 Raw Materials and Space - by Dr M. Lopriore, European Space Agency ………15 Special Glass: High Tech made of Minerals - by Dr R. Schumacher, Schott Zeiss Europa Bureau ………………………………………………………19 Silica applications, the example of the Transrapid, the high-speed Magnetic levitation train - by Dr R. Contag, ThyssenKrupp Transrapid ………….25 Industrial Minerals in Paper - by Mr J. Malmivaara, UPM Kymmene ………….…29 High-tech ceramics in Ballistic Protection - by Dr E. Lutz, ETEC ………………..31 Borates and hydrogen storage technology - by Dr S. Tang, Millennium Cell (USA)………………………………………………………………39 Industrial applications of nanocomposite fillers based on organic Intercalated bentonites - by Dr T. Engelhardt, Süd-Chemie …………………….45 List of participants ………………………………………………………………...49 Career overviews of the speakers ………………………………………………..53 - 3 - "Industrial Minerals: A World of Possibilities - From quarry to high-tech", Brussels, 6 June 2002 IMA-Europe 2002 Conference, hosted by DG Enterprise under the Patronage of Mr Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner - 4 - "Industrial Minerals: A World of Possibilities - From quarry to high-tech", Brussels, 6 June 2002 IMA-Europe 2002 Conference, hosted by DG Enterprise under the Patronage of Mr Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner Mr Erkki Liikanen Member of the European Commission Responsible for Enterprise and the Information Society FOREWORD On the day preceding the conference (5 June), Improving competitiveness and IMA-Europe organised an inaugural dinner for the productivity launch of its Awareness Campaign on Industrial As you are all aware, the European Heads of Minerals. The dinner was held at the prestigious States and Governments, at the Lisbon Summit Solvay Library and was honoured by the in March 2000, set the ambitious goal for presence of Mr Errki Liikanen, Member of the Europe to become “the most competitive and European Commission, and Mr Malcolm Harbour, dynamic knowledge-based economy in the Member of the European Parliament. world”. Mr Liikanen's speech is printed here below: The competitiveness issue remains at the heart of the Commission’s industrial and enterprise Ladies and Gentlemen, policy. Although growth and employment increased in the EU in the second half of the Thank you for inviting me here this evening to 1990s, Europe lost out to the US both in terms address you on the eve of the IMA-Europe 2002 of competitiveness and living standards. Conference of the International Minerals Association. Our wealth, as measured by GDP per head, is less than two thirds of that in the US. This In my address this evening I plan to give you an difference can be attributed to two factors: a overview of how I see the key enterprise and lower level of employment and a lower average competitiveness challenges, and the link with output per employed person in Europe. sustainable development. In the short run, expanding employment can be Enterprise and competitiveness an important source of economic growth. In the long run, productivity gains are the most During the 1990s the European Union made important factor in raising standards of living. substantial progress in achieving the Internal The European Competitiveness Report 2002, Market, and in finalising European Monetary which has recently been adopted by the Union. These are major achievements; the Commission, points out that weaknesses in benefits from the single market have given a Europe’s innovative performance and a slower push to competitiveness and brought immense introduction of new technologies are the origin benefits to consumers also. of the gap with the US. This means we have to The introduction of the euro brings greater increase our efforts on all fronts to meet the certainty to business activities. It brings also goals set in Lisbon. important advantages to the European consumers by increased competition and price Information and Communication transparency. Technology Economic growth, social cohesion and The importance of Information and environmental protection must go hand in hand. Communication Technology (ICT) in economic This is the one of the Union’s sustainable growth and productivity performance is critical. development strategy. Decision-makers must find a proper balance in what are sometimes The strong growth and productivity performance competing policy objectives. in the US achieved during the 1990s went in - 5 - "Industrial Minerals: A World of Possibilities - From quarry to high-tech", Brussels, 6 June 2002 IMA-Europe 2002 Conference, hosted by DG Enterprise under the Patronage of Mr Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner parallel with increased investment and diffusion Innovation of ICT goods and services. In contrast, the Innovation also has played a crucial role in the weaker economic performance of EU Member acceleration of productivity growth in certain States is in part linked to slowness in the Member States and in the US. adoption of these technologies. Innovation is not limited to the invention of new As far as the minerals extraction and processing products. The new technologies that are being sector is concerned, a recent study developed at an increasing rate provide commissioned by the Department of Trade and minerals processing companies with Industry in the UK shows a very limited instruments that can help in innovating penetration of ICT in this sector. production and management processes. They Among the key obstacles identified were : improve quality and speed while reducing the • costs. It is essential that your industry keeps perceived high costs of a fully integrated innovation and modernisation as an integral Internet system, especially for smaller part of its strategy. enterprises • perceived limitation of staff resources I would like now to turn to another important issue dealt with in this year’s competitiveness • a general conservative business culture report, namely environmental performance of • lack of information about the benefits and EU industries. difficulties in convincing staff internally and Recent evidence for the EU manufacturing clients of the benefits. sector illustrates how economic growth and environmental protection can advance in These all are real challenges and they all must parallel. be that. The Commission addresses partly these challenges in its e-Europe action plan. The next Over the past twenty years, on most indicators, step will be to stimulate, on the one hand EU manufacturing has achieved a de-coupling services, applications and content, covering both of its environmental impact from its output. This on-line public services and e-business, while on has meant that while output has climbed, its the other to address the underlying broadband actual impact on the environment has fallen. infrastructure and security matters. This is an important finding which shows that These constitute the major objectives of the the commonly held view in some quarters that eEurope 2005 Action Plan which will be manufacturing industry overall has been slow to presented in the Seville European Council. bring about environmental improvement is simply untrue. - 6 - "Industrial Minerals: A World of Possibilities - From quarry to high-tech", Brussels, 6 June 2002 IMA-Europe 2002 Conference, hosted by DG Enterprise under the Patronage of Mr Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner Better Regulation Encouraging voluntary efforts Many minerals mining and processing companies We shall continue to encourage industry in its are SMEs and as such are the focus of particular voluntary initiatives to address environmental attention under Community policies. I will give problems. The “dust monitoring initiative” one example of how we address their concerns. launched by the industrial minerals industries is a good example of a worthwhile initiative in this Simplification and improving the quality of field. legislation is an essential objective for the purpose of reducing the burden on SMEs. As Many enterprises in the minerals sector adhere Enterprise Commissioner I have been a strong to voluntary Environmental Management advocate of substantial improvement in this area. Systems (ISO or EMAS). Those schemes allow enterprises to meet more easily the legal I am pleased to be able to announce that the requirements, but they also allow cost savings Commission approved today a major package of through