TIPS Annual Forum 2016 - Industrialisation and the Mining Economy

TIPS Annual Forum 2016 - Industrialisation and the Mining Economy


Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS)Annual Forum 2016 'Industrialisation and the Mining Economy' will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa on 14-15 June. The Forum will be held in partnership the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED), the SARChI Chair in Industrial Development at the University of Johannesburg and the UNU-WIDER, and in association with the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME).

The conference aims to deepen understanding of the linkages between industrial development and the mining economy, looking at the inputs, downstream and service sector as well the role of research and development.

The context for the conference

While mining exports in developing countries are sought to lead to wealth and GDP growth, the outcomes are often deeply inequitable, as mining itself creates relatively few jobs while a limited elite capture the resulting rents. As periodic troughs in commodity prices lead to job losses in mining and related service industries, cuts in government revenues and spending, and higher costs for imports, make it more difficult for mining economies to sustain growth and democracy.

Within the Southern African region the growth in mining has supported the investment in new infrastructure including ports, rail, pipelines and electricity; with opportunities emerging for other industry. These countries have also seen significantly faster levels of economic growth and attraction of new investment in sectors such as retail. But to what extent has mining supported the industrialisation of those economies?

The TIPS Annual Forum 2016 will explore the factors behind these outcomes as well as innovative approaches to addressing them, especially in light of the rapid fall in commodity prices over the past three years.

Invitation - TIPS Annual Forum 2016