Sudbury, Ontario
Canada's economic security, clean technology ambitions and industrial competitiveness depend on reliable access to critical minerals.
Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, accompanied by Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, and by Rhonda Barnet, interim CEO of Canada's Digital Technology Cluster (DIGITAL), announced federal support of $6.7 million for two Canadian-led mining innovation projects, valued at $19.8 million, that will help advance more precise critical minerals extraction and improve ecological restoration monitoring across the mining sector. Canada has the resources to build and innovate here at home, turning our natural advantages into economic opportunities for workers and industry.
The projects, led by Novamera Inc. of Oakville, Ontario, and Koonkie Canada Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia, will accelerate the development and adoption of Canadian technologies that support responsible resource development while strengthening Canada's critical minerals supply chains. The investments will help move innovative solutions from development to real-world deployment, creating opportunities for Canadian companies to commercialize and scale their technologies.
Novamera will receive $3.8 million from DIGITAL toward a $10.9 million project to advance its Surgical Mining technology, which combines advanced subsurface imaging, artificial intelligence, robotics and conventional drilling equipment to access critical mineral deposits with greater precision. Koonkie will receive $2.9 million toward an $8.9 million project to develop an AI-powered platform that integrates environmental DNA analysis, soil health data, remote sensing and Indigenous ecological knowledge to support ecological restoration and biodiversity monitoring at mine sites.
Canada has what the world needs to meet the demands of the future. By helping build up Canada's critical minerals production and advance clean technologies, these investments will strengthen our industrial competitiveness, bolster our economic security and support jobs across the country.
