As the keynote speaker for the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce’s Outlook 2010 event, Laurentian University economics Prof. David Robinson came bearing a good forecast for the local economy.

At the event, held Dec. 11, chamber president and CEO Debbi Nicholson introduced him as a “glass half-full” type of person before he gave his speech.

She was right on the money.

“It looks to me like the world economy is going to grow pretty steadily and, that means, for our mining supply and services sector, it’s going to kick into action and they’re going to have to run to keep up,” he said.

“By the end of the year, I expect they will really be having trouble keeping up with orders.”

The one uncertainty, Robinson said, is the Vale Inco strike.

“What we don’t know (and can’t predict) ... is the strike. It doesn’t matter what the world economy does, Vale provides a lot (to the local economy).”

The mining supply sector will help the city, economically, but it doesn’t have the same punch to it as Vale Inco, Robinson said.

“We have our mining supply sector, but it doesn’t have quite as much leverage as Vale Inco.”

The professor noted the rest of the world’s mining demands will put Sudbury’s mining supply sector in good shape to rebound in 2010.

“By February they are going to start hiring,” he said.

He also spoke about the importance of to driving out the stereotypes about Sudbury.

“If mining is down, Sudbury is going to disappear — that’s not true. Sudbury is just mining — that’s not true.”

Robinson added its a myth Sudbury can’t retain its young population.

Sudbury has two important transitions occurring, according to the professor.

“Economies are naturally transitioning to more and more service industries; more and more education and so on. And there is room to grow. We don’t (yet) have our share of high-end education. The other thing we’re doing is specializing. We’re no longer just a mining town. We’re a mining supplier, and that specialization is how we’re gaining in the international market.”

Laurentian University professor David Robinson noted the rest of the world’s mining demands will put Sudbury’s mining supply sector in good shape to rebound in 2010.