Mining industry poised for expansion: Sudbury viewed as future global hub of mining innovation.

Sudbury's mining sector has come a long way in making technical strides over the last few decades. The next phase is going to take the city's capacity's for innovation and extend it globally.

That was the message from Douglas Morrison, president of the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation, who was the opening speaker at the business luncheon kicking off Modern Mining and Technology Sudbury (MMTS) in late April.

Starting from his early days working in the mines around Sudbury in the early 1980s, Morrison said in a five-year period they went from using decades-old technology to modern trucks, drillers and improved safety.

"That transition wasn't just a change, it was a disruption,' he said. "It changed the world of mining."

Mining used to be very regionalized. Now companies hold properties and are doing business in multiple countries.

While changes have been gradual over the years, the mining industry was poised for another great disruption. He warned it wouldn't be easy or smooth, but it would propel mining in the region forward.

It is up to the mining companies, schools, and service industries to push the region, and the nation, to the forefront of mining innovation.

Morrison spoke about his...