Canada’s Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) network announced recently it has received funding of C$5M from Canada’s strategic innovation fund (SIF) and it is launching its fourth Canada-wide call for proposals.
The MICA network is based in the mining centre of Sudbury, Ontario. It is a collaborative, national innovation ecosystem managed by the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI). It aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative low-emission technologies in the mining sector, to produce high-impact “clean-tech” innovations to mining.
MICA network aims to modernize mining and improve its productivity and environmental performance, strengthen the Canadian mineral supply chain, and increase the domestic and export sales of Canadian innovators.
The MICA program asks tech providers to address the following four topics: 1) Increase mine production capacity at lower cost; 2) Reduce mining energy consumption and GHG missions; 3) Implement smart, autonomous mining systems; 4) Reduce environmental isk and long-term liabilities, with an emphasis on critical mineral and metals enabling technologies, circularity, and social license to operate.
MICA has already allocated C$29.5M out of C$40M SIF contribution to fund technology projects and now invites Canadian innovators to apply for C$2.7M as part of the CFP #4 that will support approximately 10 technology projects and target commercialization outcomes. These 10 projects will attract a minimum of C$10M in public and private funds, making the MICA network a C$195M initiative.
"CEMI is very proud of the success of the MICA Network’s national mining innovation ecosystem and the tremendous progress its members are making in developing and commercializing their solutions," Douglas Morrison, CEMIs’ CEO and MICA’s mining advisor, said in a news release.
"We are very pleased that the Federal Government has recognized the importance of this program by extending its support, thereby contributing to government initiatives aimed at developing future critical mineral resources. This funding extension will allow us to focus on opening new operations as soon as possible.”
“The MICA Network is mobilizing Canadian Intellectual Property (IP), attracting investments in mining and is responding to a clarion call for Canada to secure its global leadership in advancing emerging made-in-Canada solutions into the national and global mining sector,” Chamirai Charles Nyabeze, MICA’s network director and vice president of business development with CEMI, added.
Additional information and detailed application instructions are here.
Applicants are required to submit an initial application by March 28, 2024.