Cooperation between universities and industries has become a key lever for developing innovative solutions to contemporary challenges, particularly in high-risk sectors such as the mining industry. An emblematic example in South Africa is the Sibanye-Stillwater Simulacrum, a cutting-edge technological infrastructure located inUniversity of Johannesburg (UJ). This device, commissioned in 2022, constitutes a unique platform for simulating emergency incidents, integrating radiological and chemical scenarios.

An advanced technological platform serving industrial security: Designed in close partnership with the Sibanye Stillwater mining group, Simulacrum is dedicated to training, evaluating intervention protocols, and strengthening the resilience of stakeholders in the face of complex industrial risks. This infrastructure allows for inter-agency exercises involving emergency response teams, industrial safety managers, and university researchers. Thanks to this collaboration, the platform provides a realistic and secure environment where crisis management strategies are tested and optimized, while promoting the development of skills among industry stakeholders.

A source of inspiration for the University of Kinshasa (Unikin): The South African experience has aroused keen interest within the Congolese scientific community, particularly at the University of Kinshasa. Two Congolese researchers, Seke Vangu Max and Kapinga Kabulwe Sharon, recently visited the UJ laboratory, where they were able to observe firsthand the operation and benefits of Simulacrum. This visit, organized as part of their research stay, allowed for a fruitful exchange on simulation methodologies, the technologies used (including the modeling of radioactive and chemical emissions), as well as on the modalities of public-private partnerships.

Towards a Congolese model for industrial risk management: Feedback from the UJ-Sibanye Stillwater Simulacrum could inspire the establishment of a similar platform in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the mining sector is a major economic pillar, but where radiological and chemical risk management remains poorly structured. Such a project would help strengthen the training, preparation, and coordination of stakeholders in the face of industrial accidents, in a context where public safety and health must be guaranteed.