Mining research cluster launched with $1.2M funding

Saskatoon, SK – Western Economic Diversification Canada and the International Minerals Innovation Institute (IMII) have announced that the IMII, on behalf of its potash industry and provincial government members, has entered into research funding agreements with the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan. These agreements will see the development of the Mining Materials Research Cluster in Saskatchewan, which will conduct research into the corrosion of materials used in the fabrication of mineral processing and mining equipment used in Saskatchewan’s potash industry.

Under the terms of the agreements, the IMII will fund the research cluster for four years to a maximum of $1.2 million. It will be supported by funding from the federal government through Western Economic Diversification Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and MITACS.

Western Economic Diversification Canada will contribute $915,000 to the Research Cluster.

“The IMII is pleased that four research and development projects are poised to start up the new Research Cluster,” said Al Shpyth, executive director, IMII. “Participating in the Research Cluster and its first four projects are the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Engineering – Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, and College of Arts and Science – Department of Chemistry, the University of Regina’s Faculty of Environmental Systems Engineering, and the Canadian Light Source in Saskatoon.”