From October 9 to 13, 2016, the Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology (KIOST) will hold the 45th Underwater Mining Conference (UMC), with the aim of sharing information on marine mineral resources on a global scale, in Orakai Park Hotel, Songdo, Incheon.

The event will be co-hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) and KIOST and presided by the International Marine Minerals Society (IMMS). Furthermore, it will be attended by some 120 experts from 20 countries around the world, including the U.S., China, Japan, Germany, and Russia, as well as geologists working in the field of marine mineral resources, environmental scientists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. In 2003, KIOST successfully held the 33rd UMC in Jeju Island, Korea.

The up-coming conference will consist of two sessions, in which a total of 56 research papers will be presented under the theme “Resource and Environmental Assessments for Seafloor Mining Development,” in connection with the national task of “pioneering an economic territory.” During the conference, it is expected that participants from around the world will exchange information on the development of marine metal and mineral resources, such as manganese nodules, manganese pavement, and seafloor polymetallic sulphides, which are considered to be future resources.

KIOST President Hong Gi-hoon said, “KIOST is pressing ahead with the deep-sea floor mineral resource development project as part of the Future Marine Mineral Resource Development Project, which is funded by the MOF.” He went on to note, “This conference will serve as an opportunity to identify the latest trends in the rapidly evolving field of seafloor mineral development and acquire new information. It will also be a catalyst for the exploration of and development projects for manganese nodules, manganese pavement, and seafloor polymetallic sulphides that the nation is currently carrying out.”