New ‘Business Breakfast’ Series Boosts Cornwall’s Geo-Resources Sector

A new series of monthly 'Business Breakfast' sessions, hosted by geo-resources businesses across Cornwall, is rapidly gaining popularity and generating considerable interest in the geo-resources sector. Co-ordinated by the Cornwall Mining Alliance and the Geo-Resources Cluster Project team, these events are becoming a staple for industry professionals eager to network, collaborate, and build relationships.

The sessions invite participants from both within and outside Cornwall, providing an excellent platform for networking over tea, coffee, and breakfast snacks. Each event features a themed masterclass which is led by the hosting business. These sessions are highly interactive, often encouraging collaborative discussions on various ideas, challenges, and solutions. Each Business Breakfast is hosted on the premises of a different company, providing attendees with unique insights into various operational environments and business practices.

The inaugural session, held in June at Wardell Armstrong International (WAI), was a resounding success. The event, which focused on 'The Mining Life Cycle,' attracted over 40 in-person attendees and was streamed to WAI's national and international offices. WAI’s multidisciplinary team guided participants through the entire mining process, from prospecting and exploration to environmental and social governance, mining operations, metallurgy, and reclamation. Key topics included the production of critical minerals in the UK and community engagement.

Building on this success, the next Business Breakfast will be hosted by Imerys Minerals Ltd in July, focusing on their "Sustainagility" programme. This masterclass will delve into Imerys' commitment to sustainability, addressing the increasing demands for transparency and better environmental results. Attendees will gain insights into Imerys' efforts in local community support, energy reduction, and green innovations.

These events also offer opportunities for other projects and activities to be showcased; raising their profile, and creating an effective platform for engagement and feedback. For example, guest speakers will include Truro & Penwith College representatives who are to discuss the apprenticeship and skills training needs for the sector at the next Business Breakfast at Imerys.

The Business Breakfast series is off to a promising start, with excellent participation from companies across the sector. The initiative aims to strengthen the geo-resources sector in Cornwall by fostering knowledge sharing and tackling industry challenges collectively.

You will continue to find upcoming Business Breakfast sessions on the events page of the Cornwall Mining Alliance website.

Please contact [email protected] if you would like find out more. This project has received £960k from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit here.