CEMI signs agreement with global tech cluster to foster mining innovation and economic opportunity

The Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) – a Sudbury-based research initiative dedicated to accelerating technological innovation within the mining sector – has signed an agreement with DIGITAL to collaborate on fostering technical innovation and securing global opportunities for Canada’s mining sector and for mining technologies.  Digital is known as an innovative tech cluster that has been expanding its mining portfolio significantly since 2018.

The memorandum of understanding signed between the two organizations intends to enhance the competitiveness, environmental performance, and profitability of the mining sector within Canada.

Douglas Morrison, CEO of CEMI, commented:  "This agreement represents a vital step forward in uniting Canadian expertise to tackle the global challenges facing the mining industry. By working together with DIGITAL, we aim to create a more innovative, sustainable, and globally competitive mining sector that leverages the best of Canadian ingenuity."

Both companies made the formal announcement at the recent opening of the 2025 B.C. Natural Resources Forum. At the forum, Digital CEO Sue Paish moderated a panel discussing the success of the Mining Microbiome Analytics Platform (M-MAP). This initiative, part of Digital’s portfolio, was a collaboration between CEMI, Teck, BGC Engineering, Rio Tinto, UBC, Genome BC, and others.

The M-MAP project represents the largest investment in planned natural resource genomic sequencing in the mining sector. By extracting DNA from thousands of mining site samples, the project identified naturally occurring and synthetic microbes that can replace traditional chemicals used in extraction and remediation. Today, M-MAP has transformed the processing and analysis of genetic data, reducing timelines from months to days or hours, revolutionizing resource extraction and mine site remediation.

A spokesperson for Digital said they aspire to be a national leader in developing and commercializing Canadian-made digital technologies. The tech company also believes that these sorts of collaboration within industry partnerships can “break down silos, drive investment, protect Canada intellectual property (IP), and bring the customer’s perspective directly into the innovation process.” Digital has developed a mining portfolio exceeding $95 million, resulting in significant technologies and scaling opportunities for Canadian mining tech companies.

More information about CEMI and/or DIGITAL and this collaborative agreement is posted on www.CEMI.ca and www.DigitalSuperCluster.ca.