Leading Australian minerals processing technology provider, JKTech, recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary with a dinner at Brisbane’s heritage-listed Customs House. The dinner, held on August 22, included present and former JKTech and JKMRC personnel, as well as clients and University of Queensland senior executives.
Founder and inaugural director of the world-renowned Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC), Professor Alban Lynch, was joined on the night by all three of his successors – Professor Tim Napier-Munn, Professor Don McKee and current JKMRC Director, Professor Ben Adair.
Professor McKee made mention in his speech to the impressive growth achieved by JKTech during the two decades since its establishment in 1986 as the commercial division of the JKMRC. “Today, JKTech has evolved into a rapidly growing company, committed to providing high-technology products and services to the Australian and international minerals processing industry.”
Left to right: Barry Kelly (JKTech Chairman); Dr Geoff Gault (JKTech Managing Director); Professor John Hay (Vice Chancellor, The University of Queensland)
University of Queensland Vice Chancellor, Professor John Hay, provided an engaging speech, during which he paid homage to the outstanding technology introduced into the international minerals industry over the years by JKTech.
JKTech Managing Director, Dr Geoff Gault, credited these innovations to the enduring strength of the relationship with the JKMRC. From 1986, until incorporation in 2001, JKTech operated as the commercial division of the worldrenowned JKMRC.
JKTech is a rapidly growing Brisbane-based company committed to transferring viable research outcomes from the JKMRC into high-technology products and services, with a strong focus on delivering specialised expertise to the Australian and international minerals industry. Its work has recently received public recognition in the Premier of Queensland’s Smart Awards. In 2005 JKTech was named Winner of the Mining and Mineral Processing category; and this year was awarded 2006 Finalist in the Small-to-Medium Manufacturing and Mining category.