that mining is respectful of the human being; and we want to make sure that mining impacts the planet in a positive way.” “We do innovation scouting to find new technologies across the world and we do challenge identification,” Nyabeze continues. “Then we match solutions and challenges. The fourth thing we do is commercialization services. That’s actually what MICA is – a network that was created to accelerate the speed at which innovation gets adopted by the mining industry. We have a grant of $40 million from the Government of Canada and we have six main partners across the country, one of which is Sask Polytech. The reason for these six main partners is that we actually knit together the Canadian innovation system, because it’s currently not connected for mining as we would like it to be. So, we’re connecting all the capabilities coming out of the innovation ecosystem from across Canada so that it can direct and influence mining. “We don’t do projects ourselves, but we make projects Technology program. The $102,000 grant helped Sask Polytech develop the software for virtual reality (VR) headsets.“Due to the remote locations of many Saskatchewan mines, it’s not easy for our students to be onsite to do practical work,” Suru explains.“These VR headsets will virtually take them underground.” VR headsets create immersive simulations to explore mining environments without physical risk, while fostering a deep understanding of safety protocols, emergency procedures and many of the skills needed on an actual jobsite. INNOVATION IN MINING Chamirai Charles Nyabeze is the Vice President of Business Development for the Center of Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) and the Director of MICA. “CEMI has been in operation for over a decade and is headquartered in Ontario,” he shares.“Its vision is to solve the mining industry’s challenges by making the future happen sooner. So, we’re about innovation and advancing the three Ps – profit, people, and planet. Mining is a business and if it’s not profitable it shuts down; we care about people and want to make sure 73 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 10 SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC
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