Jamaica Bauxite Mining Ltd. (JBM) and the Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE) have partnered to champion local engineering expertise and create tangible opportunities for engineers across the island.

The partnership was unveiled during the Year of Engineering 2024 campaign launch event last Thursday, (February 22) at the AUDI Showroom in New Kingston.

Donna Marie Howe, managing director of JBM, and Oneil Josephs, president of the JIE, formalised the collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Speaking at the event, Howe said, “We aim to harness the best of both our organisations’ innovations, skills, expertise, networks, and sustainability plans.”

“The JBM recognises and appreciates the crucial role of protecting the green and blue economies and the value of enlisting the critical services of engineers at the conception of transformational projects like ours, which will see engineers being challenged to think outside of the box in making them a reality,” she continued.

Central to JBM’s strategic vision of “More Than Mining” is the revitalisation of existing assets through sustainable development initiatives. Utilising reclaimed bauxite lands, JBM plans to establish a commercial park for logistics and managed services, sustainable housing developments, and an expansion of Reynold’s Pier Port, all underpinned by green financing and technologies.

“The JBM recognises and appreciates the crucial role of protecting the green and blue economies and the value of enlisting the critical services of engineers at the conception of transformational projects like ours,” Howe added.

The partnership also extends to local universities.