Strengthening the Leading Role of Scientific and Technological Innovation, Promoting the High-Quality Development of Mine Safety First Mine Safety Technology Innovation and Development Conference Held at Shandong Energy Group

On 21 September, the First Mine Safety Technology Innovation and Development Conference, hosted by the China Mine Safety Society and the Zhongguancun Safety Management Technology Talents Development Promotion Association and organized by Shandong Energy Group (“the Group”), was held in Zoucheng. The conference aims to build a high-end platform for exchange and cooperation in mine safety technology, bring together industry expertise, and promote the deep integration of technological innovation and mine safety. Attending the conference were Huang Yuzhi, Member of the National Committee of the CPPCC, Deputy Director of its Committee for Agriculture and Rural Affairs and President of China Mine Safety Society; Zhou Dechang, Vice President of China Mine Safety Society; Wang Guofa, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chief Scientist of China Coal Technology & Engineering Group; Ma Lianfang, President of Zhongguancun Safety Management Technology Talents Development Promotion Association; Wang Huabei, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Director General of Shandong Bureau of National Mine Safety Administration; Li Wei, Secretary of the CPC Shandong Energy Committee and Chairman of the Group; and Wang Qirui, Counsellor of the People's Government of Shanxi Province. More than 500 representatives from competent industry authorities, key mining enterprises, universities, mining research institutes and technology companies took part in the conference.

Huang Yuzhi delivered a keynote speech. He expounded on the great significance of safe production and scientific and technological innovation for promoting the high-quality development of mine safety, and systematically summarized the fruitful achievements made in scientific and technological innovation in mine safety in China in recent years.

Huang Yuzhi emphasized that it is essential to thoroughly study and implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on safe production and scientific and technological innovation, and to gain a profound grasp of the essence and requirements of developing new quality productive forces. Developing new quality productive forces means transitioning to high-quality development driven by technological innovation, underpinned by green and low-carbon development, and aimed at intrinsic safety; further raising ideological awareness so that scientific and technological innovation becomes the core driver leading the industry's development; further concentrating efforts on key scientific and technological research to win the battle for core technologies; further deepening digital and intelligent empowerment to accelerate the intelligent development of mines; further accelerating the green and low-carbon transition to follow a path of ecological friendliness in mining; further strengthening talent support to forge a main force for scientific and technological innovation in mining; and further improving institutions and mechanisms to build a sound framework of coordinated and efficient collaboration.

Huang Yuzhi stated that China Mine Safety Society will always uphold its mission of serving mine safety technology professionals, serving the innovative development of mine safety science and technology, serving the enhancement of mining enterprises' safety assurance capabilities, and serving to support the central tasks of the Party and the government. It will foster synergy for innovation, build a sound platform for exchange, and join hands with all parties to write a new chapter in the innovative development of mine safety science and technology.

Li Wei delivered remarks and a keynote presentation. He stated that in recent years, the Group has thoroughly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on safe production and scientific and technological innovation, resolutely carried out the deployment requirements of the National Mine Safety Administration and its Shandong Bureau, and firmly established the development philosophy of promoting safety through science and technology. Based on its principal responsibilities and core business in coal, the Group has brought together innovation resources of all kinds, continuously deepened industry-academia-research collaboration, concentrated efforts on overcoming the key technological bottlenecks constraining the safe development of the industry, and promoted the successful application of research results, thereby using hard-core science and technology to firmly safeguard the bottom line of safe production in mines. He noted that this conference is a key opportunity to deepen technological exchange, an important platform for building a solid barrier against disasters, and, more importantly, a powerful lever for leading low-carbon development. He expressed the hope that the distinguished guests and experts present will continue to focus on technological innovation in mine safety, promote the transfer and application of scientific and technological achievements in mine safety, strengthen exchange on mine safety technology, and earnestly advance the integrated development of technological innovation and mine safety. The Group will work together with all parties to deepen technological exchange and mutual learning from experience, and make new and greater contributions to achieving safe, green and high-quality development of the coal industry and to safeguarding national energy security.

Zhou Dechang presided over the conference and delivered a keynote presentation. He stated that mine safety bears on the well-being of the people and on the overall situation of socioeconomic development. At present, China's mining industry is at a critical stage of transformation and upgrading, quality and efficiency improvement, and intrinsic safety enhancement; intelligent and green development is deeply empowering safe production in mines. Advanced technologies represented by green backfilling mining, intelligent mining and precise prevention and major disasters control are being promoted and applied at an accelerating pace, and innovative achievements have been continuously made in mine safety technology, providing strong support for fundamentally enhancing mine safety assurance capabilities. In the face of new circumstances and new tasks, he said, we must uphold systems thinking, strengthen top-level design, and adopt a higher standpoint, a broader perspective and more practical measures to raise technological innovation in mine safety to a new level.

In his remarks, Ma Lianfang stated that as a national social organization deeply engaged in the field of safety and emergency talent development, Zhongguancun Safety Management Technology Talents Development Promotion Association is committed to building a collaborative platform for policy interpretation, industrial linkage, technology transfer and talent services, and to promoting the deep integration of talent chain, technology chain, innovation chain and industrial chain. He stated that the association would take this conference as an opportunity to adhere to safety first and prevention foremost, to empowerment through scientific, technological and innovation-driven development, and to coordinated action, joint development and shared benefits, joining hands to shift the mine safety governance model towards proactive prevention, to build a solid line of defence for safety through scientific and technological innovation, and to lead high-quality development with new quality productive forces.

In his remarks, Wang Huabei pointed out that the Shandong Bureau of the National Mine Safety Administration has consistently regarded promoting and strengthening safety through science and technology as an important means of enhancing the intrinsic safety of mines. It has coordinated efforts to ensure that the three-year campaign to address the root causes delivers results, and positive progress has been made in scientific and technological innovation in mine safety. He expressed the hope that the participating organizations will keep safety as the foundation and stay focused on the fundamental goal of preventing and defusing major safety risks; will remain practically oriented and open up channels for transferring results from the laboratory to the underground work site; and will pursue collaborative innovation and build a framework of coordinated action among enterprises, research institutes and regulatory and inspection authorities, so as to jointly help raise the intrinsic safety level of mines on a sustained basis.

Liu Jian, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shandong Energy Committee and Deputy General Manager of the Group, attended the conference. 

The conference was held under the theme of "Innovation as the Engine, Safety as the Cornerstone — New Quality Productive Forces Empowering the Safe Development of Mines." It featured a main forum on mine safety technology innovation and development, together with sub-forums on green and safe mining technology, major disaster prevention, control and emergency response, intelligent mine development, and mine safety management and regional coordination. Through the exchange of ideas at the main forum, in-depth discussions at the sub-forums, practical exchange during on-site visits, and the display of achievements at the technology and equipment exhibition, the conference promoted the deep integration of industry, academia, research and application, accelerated the translation of scientific and technological achievements into real productive forces, and injected strong momentum into modernizing the mine safety governance system and governance capacity. In addition, the conference was broadcast live online, covering China's major coal-producing provinces, key coal enterprises and relevant regulatory and inspection departments, with nearly 10,000 people taking part online.