Mitigating the socioeconomic impacts of the mining industry through Social Technologies: Guidelines for technology transfer between universities and communities

Abstract

The mineral sector causes socioeconomic and environmental impacts on the surrounding communities. Thus, Social Technologies (STs) developed by universities are an alternative for improving the quality of life of the people affected by mining activities. STs are a Latin American practice comprising solutions for social inclusion and economic development. Thus, this article critically investigates the impacts of mining and STs, reinforcing the potential applications of STs in this field. Additionally, the work discusses the possibilities of technology transfer from the university to society through a comprehensive literature review, and the authors developed guidelines to mitigate the impacts of mining activities using STs implementation with technology transfer as a tool. The literature review showed that, although multiple STs aim at social inclusion, the success of the ST depends on the socio‐technical suitability of each community, an efficient training process, and the capacity for self‐management by the social actors. The guideline created includes aspects of: approach and scenario reconstruction, mapping, identification of vocations, training, and technical support for affected communities. Additionally, the mining sector can use these guidelines as a Corporate Social Responsibility tool.