Award committee
Fennoscandian Mining Award and FEM Special Award
- The FEM Steering committee will nominate the FEM Award committee consisting of minimum three persons representing the industry and academia.
- The Award committee can present Fennoscandian Mining Award(s) in connection with the aforementioned conference or with the frequency deemed appropriate by the award committee. The Fennoscandian Mining Award can be awarded to individuals, working groups, companies, associations or any other entity deemed appropriate by the Award Committee for an outstanding contribution to Fennoscandian mining industry.
- FEM Special Award(s) can be presented to individuals for outstanding contributions to Fennoscandian economic geology or mining industry.

Chair of the FEM 2023 Award committee
Pertti Lamberg, PhD, Professor, Sakatti Project Manager, Anglo American (AA Sakatti Mining Oy), represents FinnMin
Prof. Pertti Lamberg (PhD, geology), Anglo Amercian’s Sakatti Project Manager and CEO of AA Sakatti Mining Oy, has more than 30 years’ experience in mining industry and academia.
He worked in different R&D positions in Outokumpu and Outotec between 1990 and 2010. 2011-2016 Pertti worked as a Professor in Geometallurgy in Luleå University of Technology, and 2016-2020 as a CEO of Keliber Oy. He joined Anglo American in June 2020. Pertti has wide technical expertise from exploration, resource characterization, geometallurgy, process design and mining project development and management.

Anita Helene Hall, Secretary General, Norsk Bergindustri/Norwegian Mineral Industry
Anita Helene Hall has served as Secretary General of Norsk Bergindustri (Norwegian Mineral Industry) since May 2018. She has built up a new organization, focused on the future for the mineral industry in Norway. Not least, this involves a broad effort to help the industry improve framework conditions as well as to become more sustainable and environmentally focused. To achieve this, the industry needs co-operation across borders, and participation in Nordic and European organizations is an important part of this work. Anita and Norwegian Mineral Industry is also proud of implementing the Canadian framework Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) in Norway, which guides the industry to achieve core values of responsibility, openness and credibility.

Maria Sunér, VD & CEO, Svemin, Swedish Association of Mines, Mineral and Metal Producers
Maria Sunér is the CEO of Svemin, the Swedish Association for Mines, Mineral and Metal Producers. Ms Sunér has a profound background from the business sector, and has held several positions at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, as well as for the Swedish Association of Energy producers. She has also worked for the Worldbank and Eon. Maria is a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Engineering, member of the Euromines Executive Committee, as well as vice chair of the Energy and Environment Committee for Business at the OECD.
Teija Kankaanpää, Plant Manager, Yara Finland, represents FinnMin

Hans Årebäck, PhD, Manager, Business Development, Boliden Mines
Hans Årebäck Manager for Business Development, Boliden Mines. Educated in mineralogy and petrology at Göteborg University, graduated in 1992 and received a Ph.D in 2001. Hans started his career in Saudi-Arabia in 1994 as a site geologist on a rock cavern project for ABV Rock Group. In 1997 he started as an exploration geologist for Boliden and up to 2013 worked in different positions within exploration and resource estimation in the Boliden Exploration organisation, from 2009 to 2013 Hans was the Exploration Director for Boliden Mines. During the last 8 years Hans has been Senior Project Manager and Manger for Business Development, Boliden mines.
Fennoscandian Mining Awards
The recipient of the ninth Fennoscandian Mining Award in 2019
Sotkamo Silver Team with special honour to late professor Tauno Piirainen
Dr. Jouni Vuollo, Head of Unit, Regional Geodata and Interpretation, Geological Survey of Finland, FEM 2017 Award committee | Erkki Kuronen, Managing Director, Sotkamo Silver Oy Dr. Timo Lindborg, Sotkamo Silver AB | Dr. Henrik Schiellerup, Division Director, Geological Survey of Norway, FEM 2019 Award committee | Dr. Pertti Lamberg, CEO, Keliber Oy, FEM 2017 Award committee
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Sotkamo Silver Team has been working persistently to develop the project since they acquired the rights in 2006 to the production start in March 2019. Sotkamo Silver demonstrates that with relentless attitude it is possible for a junior company to do this in Fennoscandia nowadays. The construction phase was completed in early 2019 on schedule and on budget. The company has successfully ramped-up the production and has recently reached their targeted throughput. The operating profit of the company was positive in August.
Professor Tauno Piirainen, Oulu University, played a major role in the early history of the Taivaljärvi Ag-Zn-Pb-Au ore. He established and led the Kuhmo ore project which discovered of the ore body in 1980. Tauno passed away recently but did see his work come to an end, when he participated in the opening ceremony of the mine.
The recipient of the eight Fennoscandian Mining Award in 2017
Mr. Jan Moström
Dr. Pertti Lamberg, CEO, Keliber Oy, FEM 2017 Award committee | Dr. Vesa Nykänen, Research Professor, Geological Survey of Finland, FEM 2017 Award committee | Mr. Jan Moström, CEO, LKAB | Mr. Jukka Jokela, Sakatti Project Manager, Anglo American (AA Sakatti Mining Oy), FEM 2017 Award committee | Dr. Henrik Schiellerup, Team Leader – Mineral Resources, Geological Survey of Norway, FEM 2017 Award committee
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Mr. Moström has had an exceptional career in the Swedish mining industry. He started out as a miner in Kristineberg and returned to Boliden to work as a mining engineer after completing a mining course in Bergskolan, Filipstad. In the 1990’s, he became a successful mine manager in several mines in the Boliden Area.
In 2001, Mr. Moström was appointed as the General Manager for the Boliden Area and became President of Boliden Mines in 2005. In this position, he was the major driver behind building up a strong organization with the capacity to develop expansions and new mines. This includes the Aitik 36 expansion, the startup of the Kankberg gold-tellurium mine, and the Garpenberg 2.5 expansion. Most importantly, the mineral resources and reserves of Boliden increased significantly during this period. In 2015, Mr. Moström took on the new challenge of serving as the CEO of LKAB. Under his leadership, LKAB has returned to being a strongly profitable company.
The recipient of the seventh Fennoscandian Mining Award in 2015
The Finnish Network for Sustainable Mining
Prof. Pertti Lamberg, Luleå University of Technology, FEM 2015 Award committee | Sylvie Fraboulet-Jussila, Senior Environmental and Social Advisor, Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd | Eero Yrjö-Koskinen, Secretary General, Finnish Network for Sustainable Mining | Prof. Pekka Nurmi, Research Director, Geological Survey of Finland, FEM 2015 Award committee
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The Finnish Network for Sustainable Mining was established in 2014 to serve as a platform for dialogue and co-operation between the Finnish mining industry and its stakeholders. The aim of the Network is to develop new working methods that better take into consideration stakeholder concerns and, as a result, improve the social license of mining companies in Finland.
From a challenging starting point, the Network has succeeded remarkably well in creating a new forum where all parties can participate in the discussion and will be heard. Evidence of this is provided by the Statement of Intent that was signed by all the stakeholders, including WWF Finland, the Finnish Sámi Parliament and the Finnish Mining Association (FinnMin). During its first year, the Network established five working groups, published toolboxes for local actions for mining and ore prospecting companies, mapped the practices in other mining countries, published an extensive corporate social responsibility report of 140 pages in Finnish on the activities of 19 mining companies and released a working report in Finnish and English on the Network’s first year of activities. Just recently, the Network has finalised a new sustainability standard for the mining sector. The piloting of the standard will start in January 2016.
The Network has adapted a new way of working: the aim of its discussions has been to allow everyone to share their views and to be heard. The Network also accepts the fact that we will not always agree on everything.
The Network is an extremely valuable platform to develop and maintain mining in Finland in a sustainable way. The achievements of the first year clearly exceeded the expectations. The wide base of active partners and actors has provided a very good foundation to continue working successfully in the future.
The recipient of the sixth Fennoscandian Mining Award in 2013
GTK Mintec – the Mineral Processing Pilot Plant and Laboratory of the Geological Survey of Finland

Hans Årebäck, Senior Project Manager, Boliden Mines, FEM 2013 Award committee | GTK – Team Mintec | Risto Pietilä, Regional Director, Geological Survey of Finland, FEM 2013 Award committee | Jukka Laukkanen, Group leader, Geological Survey of Finland | Pekka Nurmi, Research Director, Geological Survey of Finland, FEM 2013 Award committee
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The history of the Mineral Processing Laboratory dates back to 1942 when the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) established this new facility in the recently founded Otaniemi Campus area. The laboratory educated several generations of mineral processing engineers after the war for the intensively developing domestic mining industry in Finland.
In 1988 the laboratory was relocated to new premises, custom-built for VTT in the town of Outokumpu, making it possible to undertake large-scale pilot plant studies, which at first dealt primarily with global projects managed by Outokumpu Mining. In 2004 however, the Mineral Processing Laboratory was amalgamated with the Geological Survey of Finland. During the last decade, both the personnel skills and technical capabilities have been further upgraded to satisfy the growing and diversifying needs of global mining industry and related sciences .
GTK Mintec’s fully accredited laboratory and pilot plant facilities are unique in Europe. GTK Mintec can cover the entire research chain from mineralogical, ore feed and waste characterization to pilot-scale enrichment under the same roof. The ability of GTK Mintec to respond to specific client needs and to work alongside in-house experts from client organizations is also widely acknowledged. GTK Mintec has taken part in developing mineral processing technology for nearly all mining projects and operating mines in Finland. GTK Mintec also enjoys a high reputation internationally and numerous companies working abroad have made use of its facilities. Since 1988, 1750 projects have been completed including 250 pilot-scale studies.
In addition to contract work, GTK Mintec is also active in numerous R&D projects developing environmentally friendly mineral processing in close cooperation with industry and the research community. The current R&D portfolio includes seven projects in the Tekes Green Mining Programme, which promotes more efficient processing technologies with reduced environmental impacts and the large-scale EURARE project, in which GTK Mintec carries the main responsibility for the mineral processing work package.
The recipient of the fifth Fennoscandian Mining Award in 2011
Anglo American Exploration Team led by Jim Coppard
Jim Coppard, Regional Head of Exploration – Arctic, Anglo American | Pekka Nurmi, Research Director, Geological Survey of Finland, FEM 2011 Award committee | Risto Pietilä, Regional Director, Geological Survey of Finland, FEM 2011 Award committee.
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Jim Coppard earned his MSc at the Imperial College. Whilst Jim has worked globally, his expertise and passion is in the Fennoscandian and Arctic regions where he has worked for over 20 years. In 2004 Jim had an ’exploration’ idea and, with the support of Graham Brown, Head of Geosciences at Anglo American, he began the Lapland Greenstone Belt Ni sulphide exploration programme. This programme has culminated in a number of grassroots discoveries including the significant Sakatti Cu-Ni-PGE deposit.
Although nobody knows yet the true dimensions or resources of the deposit, it is already evident that this represents the most significant discovery in Fennoscandia in the 21st century, (at least so far). The intersections shown today are impressive and the metal grades magnificent. The discovery is based on Anglo American’s high-level expertise, traditional and in-house techniques and innovations in mineral exploration. Sakatti demonstrates that there are still major deposits to be discovered in Fennoscandia, and evidently this discovery will encourage all of us to focus further on the Lapland greenstone belt.
Jim leads from the field and over the years has risen in the ranks of the highly successful Anglo American Exploration Group to the position of Regional Head of Exploration – Arctic. Jim’s highly motivated exploration team in Finland includes the key personnel of Bo Langbacka (with whom Jim has worked with since 1994), Stephanie Klatt, Sebastian Stelter, Peter Blaberg, Janne Kaukolinna and in the past Brian Williams and Denis Fitzpatrick who both contributed towards the Sakatti discovery.
The recipient of the fourth Fennoscandian Mining Award in 2011
Mr. Peter Walker

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Mr. Walker is a British geologist and mining entrepreneur. He graduated in Mining & Exploration Geology in 1973 from the Royal School of Mines in London. As founder and CEO of Scandinavian Minerals, he acquired the Kevitsa nickel-copper-PGE deposit in 2000. Kevitsa was a GTK discovery which had lain dormant for several years. Scandinavian Minerals devoted the next 8 years to developing Kevitsa.One of the early and critical steps was the metallurgical breakthrough made by the GTK Mineral Processing laboratory. This identified a method for producing separate nickel and copper concentrates at economic levels of recovery, something that had eluded previous researchers.
Over the next 8 years, Scandinavian Minerals raised some 100 million Canadian Dollars in equity finance to develop Kevitsa. Development work included metallurgy, drilling, environmental work and feasibility studies. The company also began construction of infrastructure, including a new road and river bridge, as well as ordering processing equipment.
In 2008, Scandinavian Minerals was acquired in a friendly takeover by First Quantum Minerals for 281 million Canadian Dollars. First Quantum has continued to develop Kevitsa, which will commence production in 2012.
The recipient of the third Fennoscandian Mining Award in 2009
Boliden Mineral AB
Risto Pietilä, Regional Director, Geological Survey of Finland, FEM 2011 Award committee | Hans Årebäck, Senior Project Manager, Boliden Mines, | Pekka Nurmi, Research Director, Geological Survey of Finland, FEM 2011 Award committee.
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The third Fennoscandian Mining Award was presented to Boliden Mineral AB for their successful exploration and mine development during the recent years. The company has been very active both in green field exploration as well as in mine-site exploration, and mine development.
Boliden’s systematic and continuous investments in exploration techniques begun already in the early 1900’s. Their electromagnetic borehole instruments, developed in-house, have successfully been used to locate new ore bodies. These instruments measure three components of an emitted electromagnetic field in the borehole and allow for detection of electrical conductors from a great distance.
In the Bergslagen District, successful exploration around the Garpenberg zinc mine has increased the ore reserves more than ten-fold in the last five years. The success has been based on the creation of a new geological model, which led to the discovery of Lappberget, a large and rich deposit at a depth of approximately 900 meters, and later on the Kvarnberget deposit. Today Lappberget is already in production. Boliden has been able to increase Garpenberg’s annual ore production to about 1.4 million tonnes with plans for a further increase to 2 Mt annually.
Discoveries in recent years in the Skellefte District have enabled mineral resource levels to be maintained in this classic mining district. As an example, the Kristineberg mine has now been in operation for more than 60 years. The new K-zinc zone discovered by mine-site exploration, has recently been upgraded to the status of ore reserve, with metal grades higher than those previously produced. The ore reserves in Kristineberg have more than doubled over the last five years.
Boliden is currently investing 600 M€ to double the production of the Aitik copper mine from 18 to 36 million tonnes per year. This is one of the biggest industrial projects in Sweden, and will make Aitik as one of the most effective copper mines in the world.
The recipient of the second Fennoscandian Mining Award in 2007
Mr. Pekka Perä

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The second Fennoscandian Mining Award was presented to Mr. Pekka Perä, CEO of the Talvivaara Mining Company for his outstanding achievement in establishing and developing the Talvivaara Mining Company, which is assured a lasting place as a success story in the history of the Finnish – if not global – mining.
His exceptional persistence, commitment and networking capabilities in attracting a talented team of professionals to develop innovative bacterial heap-leaching technologies enabling the previously problematic Talvivaara Ni-project to be brought into production.
Additionally the award committee would like to emphasize that despite his young age, this gentleman already has a remarkable and international career behind him. Following graduation from college at Seinäjoki, an M.Sc Degree in Mining at the Helsinki University of Technology in Espoo, and thesis research in Ireland, Pekka gained diverse work experience through mining of nickel at the Enonkoski and Vammala mines in Finland and at Forestania in Western Australia. After returning to Finland to work at the Hitura nickel mine, Pekka was then responsible for planning and overseeing the expansion of the Pyhäsalmi mine and managing a PGM project at Rovaniemi. Appropriately very Ni oriented with a touch of Zn and Cu.
Especially remarkable is the short span in which the whole company and project development has taken place, starting from the initial acquisition of the Talvivaara Ni-deposit in Feb 2004, development and testing of the bioheapleaching technology, and the subsequent challenging financing pathway that led to listing on the London Stock Exchange in June of this year, with production scheduled to commence during the final quarter of 2008.
The recipient of the first Fennoscandian Mining Award in 2005
Riddarhyttan Resources AB
Heino Alaniska, Manager, Riddarhyttan Resources AB | Thomas Lindholm, Technical Manager, Riddarhyttan Resources AB | Lars-Göran Ohlsson, Managing Director, Riddarhyttan Resources AB | Prof. Pekka Nurmi, Research Director, Geological Survey of Finland, FEM 2005 Award committee | Esko Lotvonen, Region Mayor, Regional Council of Lapland.
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The inaugural Fennoscandian Mining Award was presented to a Swedish junior company, Riddarhyttan Resources AB, for their outstanding work and perseverance in developing the Suurikuusikko prospect from a minor gold occurrence into a world-class gold deposit.
During the development stages of the project, the company has demonstrated a ten-fold increase in the mineable reserves at the deposit and engineered an innovative processing method to deal with the challenges of a refractory gold ore in a sensitive Arctic environment. The importance the company placed on a system able to operate with minimal environmental impact in this part of the world deserves special acknowledgement.
Through all steps of the project, the company has made special effort to keep the local community and authorities involved and aware of the progress of the project, the impact the project will have on the natural environment and the local community, and future plans for the mining operation.
The Award was accepted on behalf of Riddarhyttan Resources AB by Managing Director Lars-Göran Ohlsson, Technical Director Thomas Lindholm and Site Manager Heino Alaniska, at the Fennoscandian Exploration & Mining Conference Dinner on 1 December 2005.
FEM Special Awards

The recipient of the eight FEM Special Award in 2019
Prof. Pekka Nurmi

Prof. Pekka Nurmi, Director of Minerals Economy, Geological Survey of Finland | Dr. Pertti Lamberg, CEO, Keliber Oy, FEM 2017 Award committee
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Professor Pekka Nurmi has done 35-years long career in Finnish geological research and exploration. Since 1984 he has worked in Geological Survey of Finland in different research management and director positions. His scientific work at GTK, but also in Finnish universities, is extensive comprising approximately 90 contributions in scientific journals and books; mainly related to economic geology, mineral exploration with special reference to gold exploration, sustainable mining and the minerals sector in general.
Professor Nurmi has played active, enterprising and important role in promoting geological research and mineral perspectivity of Fennoscandia. He led the expert group developing Finland’s mineral strategy in 2008 and was one of the key persons in putting together the Finland’s Green Mining concept (2010). His contribution has been vital also in establishing the EIT RawMaterials in 2015 and in building up the relationship between PDAC and FEM. Pekka has been one of the important persons developing FEM to its’ current form as internationally appreciated forum for exploration and mining.
The recipient of the seventh FEM Special Award in 2017
Dr. Rognvald Boyd

Dr. Henrik Schiellerup, Team Leader – Mineral Resources, Geological Survey of Norway, Member of the FEM 2017 Award committee | Dr. Vesa Nykänen, Research Professor, Geological Survey of Finland, Member of the FEM 2017 Award committee. | Dr. Rognvald Boyd, Geologist, Geological Survey of Norway | Mr. Jukka Jokela, Sakatti Project Manager, Anglo American (AA Sakatti Mining Oy), Member of the FEM 2017 Award committee | Dr. Pertti Lamberg, CEO, Keliber Oy, Chair of the FEM 2017 Award committee
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Dr. Boyd has shown exceptional dedication to the mining of mineral resources in the Arctic Region. After receiving his PhD in Aberdeen in 1972, he moved to Norway to join the Geological Survey of Norway (NGU) and to study nickel in the Råna intrusion in Northern Norway. This work proved essential to the opening of the Bruvann nickel mine in 1989.
Dr. Boyd has been responsible for the international activities of the NGU since the 1990’s. He has facilitated multiple mineral resource networks on the Fennoscandian Peninsula and in Kola, the Baltic and Africa. In 2013, he assumed responsibility for facilitating the Circum-Arctic project, with the aim of compiling information and data on mineral resources north of the 60th parallel. Through a tremendous leadership and editorial effort, Dr. Boyd managed to gather a large group of researchers and specialists from the USA, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Products released in 2016 include books, maps, a database and an online portal with detailed information and data on mineral resources in the Arctic. Dr. Boyd officially retired from the Geological Survey of Norway at almost the same time as the Circum-Arctic project was concluded.
The recipient of the sixth FEM Special Award in 2017
Mr. Ingmar Haga

Dr. Vesa Nykänen, Research Professor, Geological Survey of Finland, Member of the FEM 2017 Award committee | Dr. Pertti Lamberg, CEO, Keliber Oy, Chair of the FEM 2017 Award committee | Mr. Ingmar Haga, Senior advisor, Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. | Dr. Henrik Schiellerup, Team Leader – Mineral Resources, Geological Survey of Norway, Member of the FEM 2017 Award committee | Mr. Jukka Jokela, Sakatti Project Manager, Anglo American (AA Sakatti Mining Oy), Member of the FEM 2017 Award committee
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Mr. Haga has had a long international career in the mining industry. He graduated from Åbo Akadem with an M.Sc. in Geology, after which he worked in a number of positions in Outokumpu Exploration. In 1986, he moved to Toronto where he worked as the Director of Outokumpu Minining Oy Canada.
In 2002, Mr. Haga returned to Finland and was appointed President of Polar Mining Oy, a Finnish subsidiary of Dragon Mining NL of Australia. In 2006, he was appointed Vice-President, Europe, of Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. and CEO of Agnico Eagle Finland Oy. Mr. Haga led the company when the Kittilä gold mine was built into a successful mining business. He is a board member of Auriant Mining AB. He also served as a board member of the Finnish Mining Association from 2007-2008 and as the Chairman of the Board in 2009. He has been a member of the Euromines Steering Committee since 2010.
The recipient of the fifth FEM Special Award in 2015
Jarmo Vesanto

Jukka Jokela, Project Manager, Anglo American Exploration, member of the FEM 2015 Award Committee | Jarmo Vesanto, Business Development Director – Finland, Boliden | Prof. Pekka Nurmi, Research Director, Geological Survey of Finland, Chair of the FEM 2015 Award Committee
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Jarmo’s long and distinguished career as a mineral explorer and developer of mining projects started in the mid-1970s when he had a summer job exploring for minerals for Outokumpu in Northern Finland. After completing his studies in the early 1980s, Jarmo was immediately hired by Outokumpu and, after thorough practice in the field, he specialised in exploring for nickel ore in Southern Finland. In this role, Jarmo played an important role in developing the company’s new geological, geophysical and geochemical research methods and joint use of materials, as well as putting these methods into practice on the field.
In the late 1980s, Jarmo and his family moved to Australia on secondment for Outokumpu. Their first stop was the east coast, where Jarmo acquainted himself with the company’s mining operations at Thalanga Cu-Zn mine. After this the family moved to the west coast, where he was seconded to Outokumpu’s partner MPI Mines Ltd. In this position, Jarmo managed the evaluation of new nickel deposits in Western Australia. This work soon led to the discovery of the rich Silver Swan nickel deposit and the founding of a mine.
From the warmth of Western Australia, Jarmo and his family’s path took them next to Ontario, Canada, where he founded Outokumpu’s mineral exploration office in Timmins. The highly skilled mineral exploration team led by Jarmo worked efficiently to examine nickel deposits in the Abitibi greenstone belt and to develop the Montcalm mine project, which also was a nickel site.
At the turn of the millennium, Jarmo returned to Finland with his family, and his work for Outokumpu continued, for example in studying the nickel potential in Fennoscandia. Unfortunately, this work was cut short when Outokumpu ran down both its mineral exploration and mining activities. Via Polar Mining, Jarmo eventually transferred to the employment of Altona Mining Ltd. to lead and develop the company’s mineral exploration for nickel and multimetal deposits and mining projects in Finland. This work eventually to the opening of a multimetal mine in Kylylahti.
Jarmo changed employers once again when the Kylylahti mine was acquired by Boliden. In his current role, Jarmo is in charge of developing Boliden’s mineral exploration operations in Finland.
Jarmo holds M.Sc. in Geology from the University of Oulu, Finland and he is a member of Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Since 2013 Jarmo has also been a member of BOD of Sotkamo Silver Oy.
As a whole, Jarmo’s career can be described as innovative, open-minded, persevering and productive, and it has led to exceptional successes in both mineral exploration and development mining projects.
The recipient of the fourth FEM Special Award in 2013
Prof. Pär Weihed

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Pär Weihed was born in 1959 and grew up in Göteborg (in English, Gothenburg), Sweden. He completed his undergraduate studies and his PhD (in 1992) at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. His PhD studies on the Tallberg porphyry-type deposit in Skellefte district, northern Sweden evidently triggered his interest in Economic Geology which still is his main focus today. Professor Weihed has published over 150 publications, so far.
In 1996 he was appointed as an adjunct professor at the Luleå University of Technology, and from 2003 Pär has been a full Professor in Economic Geology in Luleå, at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources, Division of Geosciences.
During his time in Luleå, Pär has supervised a number of PhD students and coordinated a number of both national and European research projects. During the last 10-15 years Pär has been the key person to built, in cooperation with the minerals industry, an organisation at LTU focused in economic geology, exploration, metallurgy and mining. He is currently the Director of the Centre of Advanced Mining and Metallurgy, and the the Scientific Director of ”The Strategic Innovation Area for the Swedish Mining and Metal Producing Industry”. This year he was appointed as the Vice Rector of Mining at the Luleå University of Technology. Besides his activities in Sweden, Pär has been instrumental in promoting minerals related research in Fennoscandia and the European Union.
Pär is also currently President of the Society of Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA), a Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, a founding member of the European Technology Platform of Sustainable Mineral Resources, and a member of a number of other boards. His dedication to consolidating geoscience within an industrial and economic context, and his enthusiastic efforts in trying to raise public awareness of geology and natural science in society at large have been very significant and greatly appreciated by the Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining industry.
The recipient of the third FEM Special Award in 2011
Professor Gabor Gaál

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Professor Gabor Gaál is a rather rare commodity – an inspiring individual who has successfully combined an innovative research and teaching career with project generation and management skills, in many countries and across the entire range of geosciences studies, from exploration through tectonics to groundwater management.
During the same time, Gabor was pioneering mathematical approaches to geology, data integration and the development of computer-based methods for management of geological and ore deposit databases. From 1970-1983 Gabor also taught at the Universities of Helsinki and Oulu in Finland where he is remembered for his enthusiastic teaching and field course by a whole generation of students.
After a period in Brazil, furthering his international experience, Gabor joined GTK in 1984 as Chief Geoscientist coordinating research in mineral exploration and tectonics. Gabor then returned to his native Hungary as Director of the Geological Survey, undertaking the challenging task of restructuring an entire organization, before taking up the position of research director at GTK. During these years he consolidated his role as an innovative and tireless coordinator of international collaboration in the geosciences, through IUGS, EuroGeoSurveys and in the initiation of numerous multidisciplinary EU-funded projects. After retirement in 2003, Gabor continued his activities on EU-projects as the scientific coordinator for ProMine, an ambitious large-scale, integrated EU Framework Project involving 28 collaborative groups from throughout Europe.
The recipient of the second FEM Special Award in 2007
Prof. Felix Mitrofanov

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Professor and Academician Felix Mitrofanov graduated from the Leningrad State University in 1957 with honours and has since then devoted his life to geological research. From 1957 to 1985 he worked at the Institute of Precambrian geology and geochronology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where he progressed from laboratory assistant to doctor of science and deputy a director of research work.
From 1986 to 2007 Professor Mitrofanov held the position of the director of the Geological Institute of the Kola Science Centre in Apatity. Under his skilful management, research activity at the Institute has been strengthened, with the establishment of the laboratory for platinum-metal ore genesis and a well-equipped isotope laboratory.
His pioneering research on mafic intrusions and PGE ore deposits has resulted in numerous publications and led to the formation of the JSC Pana company, which discovered PGE deposits in the Fedorovo Tundra and Pana Tundra areas. He has been very active in international cooperation, providing a sound basis for ongoing and effective collaboration between Russia and the Scandinavian countries.
Since 2007 Felix Mitrofanov has taken on the position of advisor within the Russian Academy of Sciences. Professor Mitrofanov devotes much time to training young geologists at the Apatity Branch of Murmansk State Technical University where he heads the Chair of Geology and Mineral Resources.
The recipient of the first FEM Special Award in 2005
Prof. Heikki Papunen

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Professor Heikki Papunen was actually born as long as December 1936. Heikki graduated in 1960, and gained his doctorate from the University of Helsinki in 1971. His undergraduate studies on the Archean volcanics of the Kuhmo greenstone belt evidently triggered a lifelong interest in geology which still continues today.
Now, over four decades later his name is synonymous with research into ultramafic and mafic magmatic processes and mineral systems. This has led to fruitful and long-lasting collaboration throughout Europe and beyond and the training of two generations of geologists, through his long and ongoing association with the University of Turku.
Heikki is also widely known for his tireless promotion of earth sciences in Finland and abroad, as is evident from the range of honorary positions and appointments that he has held with international associations, particularly SGA. His expertise has also been recognized by the exploration and mining community, through numerous consulting activities and industry-sponsored projects.