ABSTRACT
This paper demonstrates that without a suitable pool of qualified mining professionals, appropriate research and long-term strategic funding, mining innovation and the move towards digital mining will all suffer. Through support of local tertiary engineering education and digital mining research centres in the developing world, we not only immediately broaden the talent pool available to the discipline, but also achieve diversity and creativity in ideas and problem solving. Benefits are tangible and will be seen to bear significant fruit in the medium to long-term, not only to students, countries and regions, but also for large mining houses, junior exploration companies, shareholders and other stakeholders.
