Note the information in this profile has not been validated by the organization.
The Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC) is a national non-profit organization that coordinates and develops projects and programs in response to life of mine challenges defined by its industry members.
Vision:
Transform mining towards a zero waste industry.
Mission:
Connect innovators to catalyze transformation across the industry.
Areas of expertise
- Drive breakthrough research solutions to address critical needs in targeted areas
- Enhance sustainable research performance and receptor capacity through HQP
- Optimize research efficiency and achieve innovation potential through collaboration
- Create a mining research and innovation culture effectively linking research capability to industry needs
- Enroll new audiences and key decision-makers to support mining research and innovation
Key Projects, Programs and Initiatives
Towards Zero Waste Mining (TZWM) Innovation Strategy Active
TZWM is stimulating technology innovation in Canada to achieve zero waste in the industry within 10–20 years, with an integrated focus on productivity, energy and the environment. The approach ensures a gradual progression and adoption of innovative technologies, promoting more efficient and sustainable operations and reducing the environmental impact of mining projects.
Benefits
- Significantly reduce mining’s environmental footprint, including energy consumption, GHG and CO2 emissions, tailings discharge and water use.
- Develop new technology that is deployed in Canadian mines and globally.
- Increase foreign direct investment in Canada by international technology companies.
- Make Canada a centre of mining innovation.
Areas of focus
Reduction of waste and greenhouse gases in the mining life cycle
Partners & Collaborators
40 mining companies and service providers
Exploration Innovation Consortium (EIC) Footprints Project Active
This research network is aimed at improving exploration success by developing practical applications and approaches to the acquisition, management, integration, and analysis of geological, geochemical, mineralogical, petrophysical, and geophysical data that can be used to identify the ore-system footprint at its most distant edge and at depth. It is also providing fundamental new knowledge about the unique combinations of geological processes that have been responsible for some of the largest concentrations of metal in the Earth's crust.
Benefits
- Enhance the ability of the Canadian mining industry to recognize the entire "footprint" of an ore deposit from its high-grade (minable) core to most distant cryptic margin (which if deeply buried is the only part detectable on the surface).
- Develop methods that truly integrate (not just layer) the wide range of complex geological, structural, lithologic, mineralogical, geochemical, petrophysical, and geophysical data that define the "footprint" of an ore deposit.
- Formalize methodologies for how specialists in each of those areas need to interact in order to accomplish these goals.
- Develop methods to expand the resource base in Canada and to develop new technologies for detection of ever-more subtle targets, giving Canadian mining companies an edge in exploration for deeply covered ore bodies.
Partners & Collaborators
42 researchers from 24 universities across Canada and 30 Canadian mining, mining service, and software companies
NRCan Rare Earth Elements and Chromite R&D Program Active
The Canadian rare earth element (REE) and chromite R&D program emphasizes the need to develop, de-risk and demonstrate the technologies required to establish these industries and bring their products to market. Further, technologies will be developed and assessed hand-in-hand with environmental impacts, with a strict goal of establishing methods that minimize environmental impacts and establish appropriate methodologies to manage them.
Additional Information:
Benefits
- Developing the next generation of Canadian professionals in the REE and chromite industry
- Improve the productivity and competitiveness of Canadian mines
- Establishment of Canadian rare earth and chromite industries
Areas of focus
Improved process efficiencies, economic and market analyses to inform technology directions that should be addressed, laboratory and pilot-scale testing facilities, technical reports and publications, engaged and informed REE and chromite stakeholder communities, high quality personnel (HQP) trained, and new processes developed and evaluated.
Partners & Collaborators
REE and chromite industry, Canadian universities, service providers, provincial government, NGO’s, and civil society