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A $17.5 million UA mining research center unveiled on Tuesday could boost the industry while developing technology that could limit the environmental impact of mines and increase worker safety, researchers and business leaders said.

Known as the Institute for Mineral Resources, the program will pair mining company leaders with University of Arizona researchers to solve several industry problems such as using fresh water to extract certain materials.

The issue of using water in mining is critical in the Southwest, as there is both a high level of minerals that could be mined and an increasingly limited water supply, said Mark Barton, a UA geosciences professor, during a kickoff event for the institute.

The institute, funded by an $8.7 million grant from Science Foundation Arizona and another $8.8 million from the mining industry, will try to see if there are ways mines could use lower-quality water instead of ground water to separate materials, leaving the fresh water for other purposes.

The institute will be positioned to help find solutions to that question and others because researchers will work closely with industry leaders to develop technology that can be immediately transferred into the work environment, said Gary Jones, a board member for Science Foundation Arizona.

Formed in 2006, the foundation is a nonprofit composed of business and industry leaders throughout Arizona who are dedicated to investing in research that could help develop the state's economy.

The institute's research will bring jobs and new opportunities to Arizona, which has a rich mining history, Jones said.

"This institute will catalyze research and foster long-term competitiveness for the state," he said.

Using a UA-owned mine near Sahuarita, researchers at the institute will not only work on technology that could help the mining industry, they also will be focused on larger issues such as environmental stewardship, Barton said.

"We have a social responsibility to reduce energy and water consumption and to ensure the health of the community and mine employees," he said.

Among the other projects UA researchers plan to tackle include using video-game software to simulate certain situations such as a mine rescues and creating a GPS-like tracking program for mine workers.

The institute also will try to develop more accurate ways to determine where minerals lie beneath the surface. As it stands now, much of what's known about the composition of the Earth's crust is only skin-deep, Barton said.

"We're still trying to determine what the meat and bones look like," he said.

One of the institution's biggest strengths is that it will help the industry without hurting production, said Angie Harmon, social investments manager for Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.

"There will be unlimited access to labs without disrupting mine activities," she said.

The potential impact of the research to be conducted at the institute could not only advance Arizona but the entire mining industry, said UA Provost Meredith Hay.

"We have put this state on the leading edge of mining research, learning better, safer and more productive practices," she said.