Carbon Chemist

Tag: The Innovation Platform Issue 19

  • Connecting Canadian advanced mining technologies with global opportunities

    Connecting Canadian advanced mining technologies with global opportunities

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    MICA is addressing the critical need to secure global resources for the future by enabling the implementation of advanced mining technologies to drive progress.

    The Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) has developed a programme and a network aimed at tackling the existential opportunity of securing global resources for the future. The Mining Innovation Commercialisation Accelerator (MICA), funded by industry and the Government of Canada from 2021-2026, brings together stakeholders from across the mining industry, academia, and government to foster the development and adoption of cutting-edge mining technologies that will advance progress in sustainability and efficiency.

    The Innovation Platform spoke with CEMI Vice President of Business Development and MICA Network Director Chamirai Charles Nyabeze to learn more about MICA and the platform’s comprehensive approach to creating global opportunities for Canadian-made technologies.

    What are the challenges for promoting Canadian technologies to the global mining marketplace?

    One of the challenges of promoting Canadian technologies is accessing global mining markets. It is difficult to identify opportunities and gain visibility because mines are often located in remote areas, requiring venturing off the beaten path to reach them.

    The lack of technology support infrastructure in host countries can hinder the success and continuity of Canadian technologies. Winning a project at a global destination is one thing, but ensuring ongoing support for technology is equally important. Some Canadian companies lack experience in economic development and expertise in operating in global locations, which makes these projects even more daunting.

    Additionally, Canadians tend to be more cautious about taking risks. Political risk in certain areas can make it challenging to do business, and we are cautious about investing in high-risk countries, even though they may offer significant opportunities.

    What are the opportunities for Canadian technologies in international markets?

    The global community is increasingly moving towards greener practices. The Canadian brand is recognised globally, in part due to our strong sense of social responsibility. Canada has a strong reputation for producing high-quality, sustainable goods, and we anticipate a rise in demand for our solutions as a result.

    Furthermore, Canada boasts comprehensive expertise in various forms of mining, including open-pit and underground mining, as well as a diverse range of minerals and metals – from coal, uranium, and oil sands to cobalt, nickel, copper, and precious metals like gold and diamonds.

    Canada has a diverse mining sector, which means that the technologies developed here can be applied to various types of mining operations. Given Canada’s active mining sector, these technologies have undergone rigorous testing and proven success, establishing a solid track record.

    As the global demand for cleaner and greener mining practices grows, Canada stands at the forefront with a wealth of technologies, particularly through our Mining Innovation Commercialisation Accelerator (MICA). These technologies are designed to enhance mining efficiency, environmental conscientiousness, productivity, and safety.

    Moreover, mining technology plays a pivotal role in securing the social licence to operate by instilling confidence in the communities that mining activities will be conducted responsibly to avoid any potential disasters.

    How is MICA different from other organisations promoting Canadian mining technologies?

    The MICA is a national network based in Canada with a global reach that aims to support innovation in the mining industry and expedite the commercialisation of mining technologies. Our ultimate objective is to make a significant impact by addressing the essential needs of a resource-driven world.

    MICA’s approach is comprehensive, encompassing all mineral and metal types. It involves addressing various stages of mining, from prospecting to rehabilitation, making it distinct as a membership-based organisation that encompasses the full spectrum of mining technologies.

    MICA is tailored to be a meeting place for innovators and consumers of innovation. On the innovator side, MICA mostly engages small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the supply service sector. On the consumers of innovation, MICA engages mine operators and technology integrators. Our membership structure fosters more of a discussion-based approach, with our members seeking our support in regard to funding and commercial services. Connecting innovators to opportunities to commercialise their solutions is a community sport that engages various stakeholders across the entire mining value and supply chain.

    Our global outreach approach sets us apart. We have invested in 50 innovative technology projects spanning the entire mining process, from prospecting to mine closure and asset rehabilitation.

    Currently, we are in the process of establishing an international network of organisations dedicated to advancing the mining industry. This network includes creating pathways to leverage globally relevant funding programmes like New Horizon and Eureka. As part of this, MICA has enlisted the expertise of a global outreach team that includes boots-on-the-ground business development resources in South Africa to support outreach in emerging markets.

    The Canadian government has endorsed MICA to support transformative technologies for the mining industry. The aim is to serve Canadian mining needs and create global opportunities for Canadian-made technologies. MICA is, therefore, positioned to directly impact Canada’s GDP.

    © shutterstock/Darunrat Wongsuvan

    In addition to funding, we are deeply committed to nurturing and guiding projects. We accompany and support projects throughout their journey to becoming commercially viable. Our focus lies in pioneering cutting-edge mining technologies that have not yet gained traction rather than only endorsing existing proven solutions. MICA aims to champion demonstration projects and establish proof of concepts in environments mirroring real-world conditions. This, we believe, is the catalyst for technology adoption and integration into business systems.

    MICA stands to be the definitive globally relevant one-stop-shop for accessing emerging technologies spanning the entire mining cycle.

    What specific initiatives or programmes can MICA implement to effectively connect Canadian technology companies with potential international partners?

    MICA has appointed a dedicated full-time global outreach director to facilitate the expansion of international markets for various Canadian technologies. Our strategy involves identifying ecosystem-level organisations in foreign jurisdictions and establishing connections with them. This approach is mutually beneficial for both Canadian cities and the countries hosting mines with natural resources. It is crucial for us to honour the national interests of the countries to which we introduce our mining technologies and ensure that resources are extracted sustainably and respectfully.

    Fundamentally, our approach aims to integrate Canadian technologies with the local ecosystem and contribute to the creation of new jobs and skillsets in those countries.

    As part of our global outreach, we conduct missions to introduce Canadian technologies to specific locations and engage with local stakeholders. In Europe, there are funding programmes such as Horizon Europe that we can use to develop and customise technologies further. Thanks to MICA’s global outreach strategy, we are able to leverage these programmes to create solutions tailored to the specific needs of different areas.

    Through this work, MICA will foster international collaboration, build strong partnerships, conduct business ethically and respectfully, and empower local communities and businesses in host nations.

    Another significant focus area is mobilising private capital. We are introducing the first-of-its-kind Canadian Mining Innovation Venture Fund. This will attract funding from family investment groups, private equity firms, and individual investors. It will also appeal to mining operators who are looking to invest their capital. Through this fund, MICA hopes to reduce our reliance on government funding and become a more self-sustaining platform.

    How can MICA showcase successful case studies of Canadian technology adoption in international markets?

    Ultimately, people cannot buy what they don’t know exists. The mining industry values practical demonstrations. While others may label us as risk-averse, the reality is that we are simply cautious and methodical. The process of introducing new ideas can be lengthy, sometimes taking decades to adequately showcase new technologies and test performance.

    It is crucial to consider market input in technology development to maximise adoption, and MICA is committed to ensuring that Canadian technologies are driven by international market demands.

    MICA encourages collaboration and welcomes input. Recently, we welcomed suggestions to advance mining in specific areas identified for improvement. These include: energy, the environment, productivity, and digital smart autonomous mining systems.

    Part of our funding is specifically designated to encourage technologies housed within MICA to showcase their products abroad and gain valuable feedback for further development. We participate in conferences, events, and workshops to showcase these technologies, providing accompanying fact sheets and videos to communicate their stories effectively. For example, in October, we will host a Canada-Chile Innovation Summit to display ten Canadian technologies and engage in discussions with partners in Chile.

    Additionally, we are focusing on organising micro-events, having so far hosted over 100 events in Canada and around 150 events worldwide. Our objective is to encourage technological advancements and cultivate a culture of progress within the mining industry using advertising and platforms like LinkedIn. Establishing strong relationships is crucial. Successful business operations depend on partnerships and meaningful conversations, which in turn facilitate the access of Canadian technologies to international markets.

    What metrics or benchmarks can MICA use to measure its success in promoting Canadian technology and establishing itself as the industry leader?

    MICA’s success can be measured in numbers. We have supported 50 projects, identified 296 potential technology projects, and secured $640m that can be mobilised to support innovation in these projects.

    Presently, we have over 100 members, encompassing innovators, mining operators, junior mining companies, and associates – organisations providing complementary innovation support services. Among them, MICA boasts seven mining company members, including Glencore, Vale, Teck Resources, BHP, Nutrien, IAMGOLD, and New Gold, each representing distinct aspects of the mining industry.

    Nothing happens without a team. Dedicated, excited individuals are necessary to encourage real impact and wave the flag of mining innovation. Retaining this team is equally important for MICA in measuring its success. The team at MICA is passionate about its work and aspires to lead the global industry with exceptional standards. Our work intends to simplify and demystify the process of finding innovations that elevate the mining sector, striving to reshape the perception of mining into a positive one that attracts young talent to the industry.

    MICA’s vision for a sustainable mining future

    Through the utilisation of various technologies and a shared passion for accelerating innovation in mining, we are witnessing a remarkably promising future for the industry. Leading this initiative, MICA aims to serve as a pivotal global hub, fostering and supporting mining innovation.

    As we move forward, MICA is committed to advancing environmental stewardship and providing exceptional service by bridging the gap between the global community and cutting-edge technology initiatives. Our objective is to boost funding from $40m to over $100m to enhance mining practices and contribute to the realisation of a low-carbon economy. Emphasising the circularity of resources, particularly critical minerals, is integral to MICA’s vision for a sustainable, eco-friendly future.

    Over the remaining project timeline, MICA aims to develop technologies that support circularity across the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of critical minerals exploration. Technological progress is vital in adapting to climate change and fostering a better world for all.

    Consider the profound impact of enhancing the global mining industry. As mining progresses, all related aspects, including its values and supply chains, also advance. The effect of this seemingly minor change on the world cannot be overstated.

    Please note, this article will also appear in the 19th edition of our quarterly publication.

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  • A versatile ion beam facility for interdisciplinary research

    A versatile ion beam facility for interdisciplinary research

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    The MOSAIC platform at IJCLab in France combines various ion beam equipment into a unique facility for state-of-the-art R&D in ion beam modification, structural and chemical analysis of materials.

    The MOSAIC¹ platform is located in two buildings at the Orsay valley campus and is one of the platforms under the leadership of IJCLab (Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis – Irène Joliot-Curie), a research lab supported by Université Paris-Saclay and CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research, IN2P3 Institute). MOSAIC is labelled as an IN2P3² platform.

    A diverse range of scientific fields

    MOSAIC is an interdisciplinary research platform open to numerous scientific fields: Materials science, astrochemistry, nuclear astrophysics, nuclear physics, geology, biology, and environmental sciences, to name a few. Applications cover fields as vast as: Nuclear energy (fusion/fission) and renewable energy, micro- and nano-electronics, medical isotope production, materials for accelerators and detectors, space applications, etc.

    The MOSAIC platform combines various ion beam facilities (a 4 MV Andromede Pelletron, a 2 MV ARAMIS electrostatic ion accelerator, a 190 kV IRMA ion implanter, and a 40 kV SIDONIE isotope separator) into a unique, multi-purpose facility, mainly used for ion beam modification of materials (implantation/irradiation/synthesis/deposit), and structural and chemical analysis using a variety of techniques (RBS, ERDA, PIXE, PIGE ion beam analysis techniques, and microscopies). The facility also hosts capability to perform spectrometry (an MSI Mass Spectrometry Imaging), and advanced multi-scale microstructure characterization with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) instruments.

    In support of these experiments, the facility is equipped with dedicated experimental tools for sample preparation especially for thin foils relevant for in situ irradiations and TEM studies (cutting, polishing, carbon deposition).

    Fig. 1: Overview of the MOSAIC platform at Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS/IN2P3, IJCLab, France

    The facility benefits from years of technical and scientific expertise in operating numerous accelerators coupled to dedicated precision end-stations. A key MOSAIC speciality is its ability to provide Aunq+ nanoclusters and ion beams from most of the stable elements in the periodic table (from proton to bismuth) over a wide energy range from 50 eV to 32 MeV. Such diverse beams can be provided for end-station sample temperatures ranging from -170°C to 1000°C.

    World-class facilities

    The MOSAIC facility offers several experimental capabilities:

    • Ion deposition on substrates, and ion implantation and irradiation of solids, with a wide energy range, a large variety of light and heavy ions and gold nanoparticles are available, over an exceptionally wide temperature range,
    • In situ observation and analysis at the nanoscale enables studying the evolution of the materials’ microstructure under single/dual ion irradiation, using in situ dual ion beam Transmission Electron Microscopy, with with added capabilities of EELS and EDX,
    • Ion beam analysis of materials to obtain an elemental distribution versus depth with RBS channeling, ERDA, PIXE techniques, including in situ RBS-C with ion implantation,
    • High-energy nanoparticle beam as a powerful probe for surface analysis by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) in various types of solids: Atomic and molecular imaging with nanometric resolution in situ, surface analysis impact-by-impact with high-yield secondary ion emission (multiplicity, angular distribution, correlation of secondary ions),
    • Hosting experimental facilities (international collaboration) for the study of reactions at very low nuclear energies: E.g. STELLA (led by IPHC) to reproduce and study nuclear reactions in massive stars to resolve stellar nucleosynthesis mechanisms; or NewJEDI (GANIL) for the existence of light dark bosons,
    • Surface and topography analysis of materials using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy.

    One of the specialities of the platform is the in situ techniques available that are world-renowned for materials structure and chemical characterisation (i.e. in situ Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry in Channelling geometry (RBS-C), in situ Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) with single/dual ion beam irradiation), and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI).

    The isotope separator SIDONIE is one of the few in Europe that can still produce high-purity isotopes. Owing to its age (built in the late sixties), an upgrade is ongoing.

    Fig. 2: Available chemical elements delivered by the ion accelerators of the MOSAIC facility and associated energy range. A Bernas-Nier ion
    source is available on Sidonie, IRMA and Némée. ARAMIS is equipped with a positive Penning ion source located at the voltage terminal and an
    external Cs sputtering source (SNICS). Andromède uses an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) source or a liquid metal ion source (LMIS) in the
    high-voltage terminal of the electrostatic accelerator

    Widespread applications in research and industry

    The ion beams of the MOSAIC facility are used for highly interdisciplinary research within several research groups at IJCLab, such as materials for nuclear energy, nuclear physics and interdisciplinary studies for surface analysis, radioisotopes production for health, nuclear astrophysics, astrochemistry, and materials for detectors and accelerators. MOSAIC also welcome students for internships and lab work for Master studies at the Université Paris-Saclay. The facility has been offering its facilities and services to users from industry and academic research in French and foreign Universities and organisations for more than 40 years.

    The Andromede NEC Pelletron accelerator was acquired in the framework of Equipex funding (2011-2020) of the French government. IRMA ion implanter and ARAMIS ion accelerator were home-built in the late seventies and eighties, respectively.

    A Transmission Electron Microscope was connected to 190 kV IRMA in the early eighties, updated in 1994, and a second beamline coming from the ARAMIS accelerator was connected to a 200 kV LaB6 FEI Tecnai TEM in 2007.

    Since 2005, the JANNuS-Orsay experimental hall (bringing together the ARAMIS accelerator, IRMA implanter, the associated beamlines and the in situ TEM) has been closely linked to the triple ion beam JANNuS-Saclay facility at CEA Saclay (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), France, through the JANNuS Scientific Interest Group (GIS).³

    In 2009, JANNuS was a founding member of the EMIR&A⁴ French network of accelerators for irradiation and analysis of molecules and materials (now a Research Infrastructure in France). It combines 15 complimentary electron and ion accelerators and in situ instruments installed at 11 platforms distributed over six sites in France.

    Beam time is available each year through the EMIR&A call for proposals to users worldwide, and in particular for the MOSAIC platform at Andromede for ToF-SIMS experiments using MeV gold nanoparticles and at JANNuS-Orsay for the in situ TEM connected to one or/and two ion beams.

    It is worth noting that developments and upgrades are continuously made to keep the facility at the state-of-the-art level. As an example, the 30 kV test bench Tancrede, built in the 2000s to deliver intense beams of multi-charged atomic and molecular ions with a 10 GHz ECR ion source, is being re-installed and optimised. The upgrades will enable ion manipulation and trapping techniques and to measure ionic desorption yields of materials of interest for high energy particle accelerators.

    Another ongoing project is the construction of a new ion beam line at the ARAMIS 2 MV ion accelerator to be connected to an advanced high-performance X-ray diffractometer. This will allow in situ structural characterisation of solids as a function of the ion irradiation, from hundred keV to few MeV light and heavy ions – to our knowledge, such a unique capability is otherwise not duplicated anywhere else in the world.

    Particularly, the  results from experiments using MOSAIC will be of great importance for research on materials under irradiation (elastic deformation, point defects, phase changes, basic understanding of ion-solid interactions, …) and especially for nuclear materials.

    References

    1. https://mosaic.ijclab.in2p3.fr
    2. IN2P3 stands for Institute of Nuclear Physics and Particle Physics (https://www.in2p3.cnrs.fr). It is one of the Institutes of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).
    3. https://jannus.in2p3.fr/
    4. https://emira.in2p3.fr/

    Please note, this article will also appear in the 19th edition of our quarterly publication.

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  • Circular Change’s circular economy vision

    Circular Change’s circular economy vision

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    Ladeja Godina Košir and Meta Pezdir from Circular Change explain how small lifestyle changes can make a major contribution to the global circular economy movement.

    Founded in Slovenia in 2016, Circular Change is a stakeholder engagement platform designed to drive a circular transition by delivering a range of solutions, projects, reports, events and more. The organisation works with a strong international network to offer expert insights and support to stakeholders on their circular journey. Circular Change’s Founder and Executive Director, Ladeja Godina Košir, is a renowned circular economy expert and contributes to more than 50 international events each year, connecting with the global circular economy and sustainability leaders. Ladeja is also Co-chair of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) in Brussels.

    A significant part of Circular Change’s work is its participation in European projects designed to accelerate the circular economy. One project in particular that Circular Change is active in is the PSLifestyle project. PSLifestyle is an innovative carbon footprint calculator designed to provide insights on an individuals’ carbon footprint and offer suggestions on how to reduce it through lifestyle changes. Users of the tool will answer a series of questions as part of the ‘Lifestyle Test’, which was co-created with residents in a series of Living Labs workshops hosted in eight European countries: Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, and Turkey. Meta Pezdir is Circular Change’s Project Manager for the PSLifestyle project.

    Eager to learn more about the work of Circular Change as a whole and about the PSLifestyle tool, Editor Georgie Purcell spoke with Ladeja Godina Košir and Meta Pezdir.

    Can you provide an overview of Circular Change and its objectives?

    Ladeja Godina Košir (LGK): Circular Change is a private, non-profit organisation. It was founded as my personal ambition to contribute to the circular transformation, not only nationally but on a European and global level.

    Our slogan, ‘we are the best entry point for your circular economy journey’, already says a lot about our mission and position. We are networkers by heart and have a good overview of the circular economy on a global level, having worked in this area for almost ten years. Since then, we have not only been observing but also actively participating in many projects.

    The main purpose of our work is to follow the development of the circular economy. Initially, we focused on informing others about the concept of circular economy, and then broadened our efforts to include engagement. We wanted to engage a variety of stakeholders, and we are doing that throughout different projects on different levels.

    Can you elaborate on key successes since the organisation’s launch?

    LGK: At Circular Change, we do not measure success primarily based on business growth or increased profit. Of course, it is important that we remain financially balanced to match any costs incurred, but the most important impact for us is related to social and environmental dimension. From my perspective, our major success is in the engagement we have achieved with so many stakeholders around the world. It is hard to count how many people have attended the workshops and events we have hosted over the years. Informing, engaging, and connecting people has been our biggest impact and is our proudest achievement.

    Another component is being pioneers of topics that we related to circular economy. When we started, circular economy was related mainly to recycling and waste management, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were the most active in the field. We set out to prove it is much more than that. On a national and European level, we encouraged creative industries to become more engaged with and more relevant to the transformation. It is not only about business models, but also about out-of-the-box thinking and creative spirit. Designers and storytellers can contribute a lot.

    Additionally, we also targeted transition brokers. Throughout our work, we have learnt that we need orchestrators of the processes. It is relatively easy to get people around the table, but you need a leader with certain competencies to lead and orchestrate such a transformative process. We collaborated with Professor Jacqueline Cramer from the Netherlands to promote awareness of the role of transition brokers.

    Another dimension of our work is culture and values. Whenever we talk about circular economy, we start with the values. You cannot just copy and paste concepts from one country to another – you must understand the background, history, lifestyle, preferences, etc. In 2016, we introduced Circular Triangle – a model which connects circular culture, circular economy, and circular change. As I said previously, one is related to the values of the citizens and their behaviour, one is more connected to the business models and economy, and the third relates to the circular transformation
    of the whole policy model. We believe that, without this systemic approach, transformation cannot actually happen.

    Can you elaborate more on the PSLifestyle project?

    Meta Pezdir (MP): The PSLifestyle project is a Horizon 2020 project funded by the European Union. It stands for positive, sustainable lifestyle. The project originated in Finland and is led by a Finnish institute called SITRA. SITRA invented the carbon footprint calculator for individuals, which was well received in Finland. Around 1.4 million Finns completed the test, and SITRA gained interest from institutes in other European countries that were keen to have the test in their countries. Following funding from the EU, there are now 16 project partners from eight European countries working on distributing and adapting this calculator for other countries.

    The main idea of the project is to promote sustainable lifestyle, but in a positive way. We want to highlight that every individual has their own lifestyle and that we can help the earth by changing our lifestyles, but in a positive way that doesn’t hurt us and that is tailormade. First, we must determine what your lifestyle is now. To do this, we created a ‘Lifestyle Test’ calculator with around 30 questions and four categories: lifestyle, transport, food, and other consumption. Participants answer a series of simple questions and then receive a result based on their answers. In addition, we provide 100 actions. Participants can choose which action they would like to do and are then immediately presented with a calculation measuring the percentage by which the action will reduce their carbon footprint. For example, the action to fly less could reduce their carbon footprint by 40%. However, if the individual doesn’t choose to fly less, the calculator presents alternative actions to achieve this 40% reduction.

    How do the ‘Living Labs’ workshops contribute to the development of the tool?

    MP: As I said before, the calculator was working in Finland but we needed to adapt it to local countries and add some additional features to it. The use of Living Labs was introduced because we wanted to understand what lifestyle means to the users. We needed to make sure that they understood the questions in the test and that the questions were relevant to them. We met with citizens on six occasions in each of the eight countries to test every important step. We also wanted to make sure that they understood the translations. Through this process, we identified certain issues related to relevancy and translation and were able to adapt the test accordingly to resolve such problems.

    Why is it important to engage the community in circular practices?

    MP: Not just in circular practice but overall, when you’re trying to understand and bring something new to the market, it is important to get the opinions of the users. However, I think that people sometimes get scared when it comes to circularity. Community involvement from the start of a project helps to build a connection with the end users and enables us to ensure that the product will fit with their needs. At the end, we want the user to be excited about the product and tell others about it. Community is one of the key pillars of Circular Change and it is very natural for us to engage the community in all our practices.

    What are the key challenges in implementing circular change at a systemic level, and how can they be overcome?

    LGK: One of the major challenges we encounter when implementing circular economy roadmaps is the necessity of collaborating with governments, as they are key stakeholders in the process. While government engagement is crucial, the transformation required must extend beyond any single political mandate. This often presents difficulties, as each new administration tends to prioritise its own initiatives, rather than continuing and advancing the work already in progress. As a result, maintaining continuity and ensuring the successful implementation of these roadmaps can be a significant challenge.

    Another challenge is trying to align the thinking of different sectors. For example, the business sector may not be aware of what is happening in agriculture and those in agriculture may not be particularly interested in mobility. Despite this, these sectors and segments are interconnected and interdependent. This brings us back to the importance of transition brokers. We need to take the bigger picture of different stakeholders with different interests and agendas, and help to align those agendas and create something tangible. We also need to create action plans for transformation.

    Additionally, many people today experience significant anxiety and pressure due to the overwhelming challenges like climate change and conflicts in Europe. These issues can lead to doubts about the impact of individual efforts. That is why we are not only advocating for a positive, sustainable lifestyle but also encouraging a mindset shift. We want individuals to realise that they can make a difference without feeling burdened or that they must sacrifice. Our message is clear: there is no judgment, and we reject the notion of “you’re either with us or against us.” True, lasting change comes from leading a balanced and inclusive life.

    What’s next for the PSLifestyle project?

    MP: The PSLifestyle project is officially ending in September 2025, but we don’t want our years of work to be wasted. The tool is free and everyone can access it. We also have a European version available now in English so all European citizens can test themselves. This was our first step towards the sustainability of the project beyond the deadline. We have already established a leadership group within the project consortia with a clear and bold ambition: to elevate PSL into a global tool, accessible to everyone. We are building a robust network of partners and supporters, and we actively invite all those interested in contributing to join us in this transformative effort.

    What are the next steps for implementing and scaling up circular practices globally? How will Circular Change support these developments?

    LGK: We are engaged in several projects working to implement and accelerate circular practice.

    One example of our work is the global initiative for circular economy roadmaps, led by Chatham House in the UK. We’ve been involved since its inception over two years ago, helping to engage countries and organisations worldwide.

    An important aspect of my work is co-chairing the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) – a role I’ve held for seven years. As we enter a new chapter of the platform, our focus is shifting towards stronger internationalisation and collaboration with other continents, advancing what I call ‘circular diplomacy’.

    The Circular Change team is also deeply committed to education, from facilitating circular economy programmes and summer schools to teaching basics of circular economy to young children. Through my keynotes around the globe, I aim to inspire critical thinking and encourage people to co-create solutions that align with the future we envision.

    Please note, this article will also appear in the 19th edition of our quarterly publication.

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  • Revolutionising ore body analysis with ELEMISSION’s ECORE LIBS drill core scanner

    Revolutionising ore body analysis with ELEMISSION’s ECORE LIBS drill core scanner

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    ELEMISSION’s ECORE LIBS drill core scanner provides detailed mineralogy and textural information rapidly.

    Exploration, mining, and mineral processing account for a significant proportion of global GDP. Comprehensive and robust ore body analysis is information that is necessary for determining the viability and profitability of an ore deposit.

    Characterisation of the mineralogy of a deposit is a reliable way to improve ore body knowledge through the validation and refinement of genetic models, which can then support exploration efforts and lead to new discoveries.

    Traditional ore body analysis methods

    Traditionally, a combination of techniques is used to understand the mineralogy of an ore deposit better. Thin sections for representative lithologies throughout a deposit are prepared and characterised by a geologist using a petrographic microscope. These interpretations generally need to be verified and further extended with secondary and even tertiary methods, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) or electron probe microanalysis (EPMA).

    For more in-depth studies, trace element and isotopic analyses can be conducted using methods such as laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) or secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to understand compositional zoning or timing of mineralisation better.

    In more recent years, automated mineralogy solutions have been developed that utilise technologies such as SEM-EDS and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) to generate mineralogical maps of thin sections or epoxy resin blocks.

    While these techniques are useful for better understanding the mineralogy of an ore deposit, the scale of these analyses is quite small and limited by sampling. With a standard thin section size of 27 x 46 mm, a large quantity is required to produce a dataset that is representative of an entire deposit.

    Additionally, smaller sample sizes increase the likelihood of biased sampling, which may induce sampling error, according to sampling theory. These traditional analyses are often quite costly and time-consuming (both in terms of analysis time and required sample preparation), further limiting how much of a deposit can be truly characterised. In an attempt to overcome some of these challenges, commercial drill core scanners using infrared hyperspectral imaging (IR-HSI) have become increasingly popular over the last decade to provide mineralogy on a larger scale.

    These machines are capable of providing large amounts of textural and mineralogical information quickly and at a relatively low cost. While this significantly reduces scalability issues that are associated with traditional methods, there are many limitations to this technology that result in reduced data quality. Metal oxides, quartz, and sulphide minerals are not spectrally active with IR-HSI and, therefore, cannot be distinguished from each other.

    In addition, the spot size of each analysis is ~1mm, resulting in mixed results in fine-grained lithologies. Infrared hyperspectral imaging (IR-HSI) is a molecular spectroscopy technique characterised by the presence of multiple spectral interferences, resulting in many minerals being indistinguishable from each other.

    ECORE – An appropriate solution for large-scale mineralogy

    ECORE (Fig. 1), manufactured by ELEMISSION Inc. (Montréal, QC, Canada), is a fully automated, high-speed, commercial laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) commercial drill core scanner that rapidly provides automated mineralogical and chemical assays while providing high-quality and accurate information.

    Fig. 1: ECORE LIBS drill core scanner manufactured by ELEMISSION Inc.
    Fig. 1: ECORE LIBS drill core scanner manufactured by ELEMISSION Inc.

    ECORE is capable of providing SEM-EDS-level quality mineralogy directly on the drill core, with a spot size of 30 µm and a resolution (spacing between analysis points) that is fully adjustable by the user. Equipped with ELEMISSION’s proprietary and user-friendly LIBS CONTROL software and Smart Automated Mineralogy (SAM) algorithm, users have access to fast and accurate quantitative mineralogy within minutes (about five minutes per core box at standard resolution).

    The unique use of LIBS technology allows for the detection of every naturally occurring element on the periodic table (from hydrogen to uranium). LIBS is an atomic emission spectroscopic technique characterised by ultra-thin emission lines (less than 100 picometers) that minimise spectral interferences, enabling precise and accurate characterisation of minerals and elemental composition in rock samples. The high selectivity of LIBS elemental spectra means that users can see individual elements within minerals and understand elemental associations.

    The unique combination of microscale probing spots and high selectivity of the atomic emission spectra brings the data required for high-fidelity quantitative automated mineralogy. It also allows users to distinguish between minerals containing the same elements in varying amounts and to see compositional variations within the same mineral.

    ECORE is able to provide rapid access to chemical and mineralogical information, along with high-resolution and detailed textural imagery. The following case studies demonstrate how ECORE’s unique features are used to provide information that would be otherwise inaccessible at a large scale for unlocking deposit potential and enhancing ore body analysis.

    Case study one: Differentiating arsenic-bearing pyrite and arsenopyrite

    For many gold deposit types, the presence of arsenic-bearing minerals is known to be associated with gold mineralisation. Properly constraining the deportment of arsenic within a deposit can, therefore, provide invaluable insight into understanding controls on gold mineralisation to facilitate decision-making and generate future drilling targets.

    The orogenic gold deposit that is the focus of this case study has gold mineralisation that is almost exclusively refractory and is associated with disseminated sulphide mineralisation and related hydrothermal alteration. In general, gold particles are primarily trapped within fine-grained arsenopyrite or arsenic-rich pyrite crystals. Higher concentrations of arsenic are typically associated with higher gold concentrations.

    The selectivity and sensitivity of ECORE technology allow users to distinguish between arsenopyrite, As-bearing pyrite, and non-As-bearing pyrite. Using a combination of mineralogical and elemental mapping (Fig. 2), the distribution of As throughout the core can be observed, and subsequently, mineralogical, textural, and chemical affinities between As-bearing pyrite and non-As-bearing pyrite can be established.

    Fig. 2: A photograph, a mono-elemental arsenic (As) map, and a mineralogical map generated by ELEMISSION’s Smart Automated Mineralogy (SAM) software of a section of drill core from an orogenic gold deposit. Arsenopyrite can be differentiated from As-bearing pyrite and non-As-bearing pyrite
    Fig. 2: A photograph, a mono-elemental arsenic (As) map, and a mineralogical map generated by
    ELEMISSION’s Smart Automated Mineralogy (SAM) software of a section of drill core from an orogenic gold
    deposit. Arsenopyrite can be differentiated from As-bearing pyrite and non-As-bearing pyrite

    The textural and chemical characteristics of these minerals can be used to better understand the implications concerning the mechanisms and timing of gold deposition. Access to detailed mineralogy promotes easy and accurate deposit characterisation and identification of alteration assemblages, allowing for informed decisions to be made for future exploration.

    Case study two: Detailed mineralogical mapping used to reconstruct events associated with VMS mineralisation

    Understanding the paragenesis (order in which minerals comprising a rock are formed) of a deposit is critical for establishing the context of different phases within a deposit. This comprehension allows mineralisation to be correlated with distinct fluid episodes and associated characteristic phase assemblages, which can then be used to develop strategies for geochemical exploration.

    Paragenesis is usually determined by examination of polished thin sections or resin blocks using various techniques (e.g., SEM, EPMA, LA-ICP-MS). However, the representativeness of a single thin section/block decreases significantly with increasing deposit scale, where vein and dyke systems can be hundreds of meters or even kilometres long.

    This, combined with the heterogenous phase distribution that is often observed to have happened during different fluid injections, adds to the challenge of sample representativeness.

    ECORE has the ability to provide mineralogy results comparable to SEM-EDS across an entire core box within minutes, creating the opportunity to maximise sample representativeness. ECORE provides rapid access to automated mineralogical and textural information at the macroscale and can be applied to entire drill programmes.

    ECORE technology was used to characterise drill core (Fig. 3) and thin section off-cuts (Fig. 4) from a VMS deposit that has undergone strong deformation and metamorphism. The deposit contains two styles of mineralisation, mineralogically and texturally distinct, which are characteristic of VMS deposits. High-resolution automated mineralogical mapping performed by ECORE allowed for accurate visualisation and correlation of texture and phaser relationships, contributing to the overall paragenetic knowledge.

    Fig. 3: A photograph and a SAM image of a section of drill core from a VMS deposit
    Fig. 3: A photograph and a SAM image of a section of drill core from a VMS deposit

    LIBS technology is able to detect and differentiate between different sulphide and metal oxide phases, eliminating the ambiguity that is common when using hyperspectral imaging. With ECORE, resolution can be adjusted down to 30µm at the touch of a button. This means that any area of interest can be re-scanned at an ultra-high resolution to highlight ultra-fine features that might otherwise be missed at a lower resolution.

    Fig. 4: A photograph and a SAM image of a thin section off-cut from a VMS deposit
    Fig. 4: A photograph and a SAM image of a thin section off-cut from a VMS deposit

    Revolutionising ore body analysis 

    ECORE is a unique tool that greatly enhances ore body analysis by empowering geologists through detailed mineralogical and textural mapping. Users can gain a superior understanding of elemental distribution within a deposit, which has implications for pathfinder and indicator mineralogy while also maximising sample representativeness with the ability to scan entire core boxes in minutes.

    Please note, this article will also appear in the 19th edition of our quarterly publication.

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  • UK targets global leadership in low-carbon hydrogen

    UK targets global leadership in low-carbon hydrogen

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    The UK seeks to establish itself as a world leader in low-carbon hydrogen production. Celia Greaves, CEO of the Hydrogen Energy Association, discusses current challenges and strategies for progress in the coming year.

    Following the General Election results, Labour is already making progress on its ambition for the UK to become a clean energy superpower. This includes appointing Chris Stark, former CEO of the Committee on Climate Change, as head of Mission Control for Clean Power and bringing together experts and officials to troubleshoot, negotiate, and clear the way for energy projects.

    Their resolve to deliver 2030 clean power – described by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to be Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer’s ‘North Star’ – is set to be supported by plans for Great British Energy, the National Wealth Fund, the British Jobs Bonus and an energy system reform as well as reviews into national policy, planning systems and projects.

    The time is ripe to take forward the momentum built up in the last decade; we have a government that is serious about delivering, and there are ambitious, world-leading projects ready to deploy at scale, creating jobs and saving carbon. These trailblazers will help us bring down costs, confirm safe operation and showcase what low-carbon hydrogen has to offer.

    However, there remain hurdles and several key steps we need to take in the coming months and years to deliver against the promise that hydrogen presents.

    Ten quick wins

    The Hydrogen Energy Association has been driving the low-carbon hydrogen agenda in the UK for almost 20 years, and at our recent annual conference, we focused heavily on ambition for the next stage.

    As part of this, we brought together ten leading trade groups in hydrogen – representing thousands of businesses in the sector – to join forces to highlight ten ‘quick wins’ to accelerate the growth of the hydrogen economy.

    The Hydrogen Coordination Forum – convened by the HEA and including Renewables UK, the REA, Hydrogen East, the North-West Hydrogen Alliance, Scottish Renewables, Hydrogen Southwest, the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, the Decarbonised Gas Alliance, and the Midlands Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Network– came together as one collective voice to announce these ten actions of hydrogen in the UK.

    The policy reforms include stimulating supply, simplifying the planning framework, bolstering investor confidence, mitigating risk, improving cost competitiveness, assessing employment benefits and developing refuelling infrastructure standards.

    Our ambition for hydrogen is to support the industry in developing sustainable, home-grown supply chains, creating high-quality jobs, and capitalising on innovation and expertise so that our transition to net zero delivers a range of real economic benefits for the UK.

    Green jobs

    This leads me to the pressing need for a holistic hydrogen talent pipeline to plug an emerging skills gap in the sector.

    The HEA has been working extensively this year with the Hydrogen Skills Alliance to develop a strategy to identify gaps and highlight where hydrogen education and training are needed.

    The limited availability of skilled labour within the hydrogen sector is an increasingly urgent consideration. Failure to address this issue now will result in sector-wide shortages and supply chain disruption that will inevitably constrain the pace at which the UK hydrogen economy can develop.

    We have, therefore, called for the allocation of sufficient funding for upskilling and retraining, collaboration with educational initiatives and institutions to create clear career transition pathways, and a fund for a national hydrogen skills training programme to ensure a pipeline of new and existing talent.

    While developing a hydrogen workforce is unique in that it has to be built from scratch and at an unprecedented pace, it has the advantage of skills transferability from the existing oil and gas industry. This indicates a need to create a joined-up approach to people and skills across the energy industry.

    However, with 84% of employers noting an insufficient number of skilled workers for hydrogen and 61% claiming this is impacting their ability to scale up, it remains essential that the Government invest in ways to strengthen the pipeline.

    Hydrogen refuelling

    Earlier this year, we released a new paper, Hydrogen Refuelling Infrastructure: Standardisation, offering a series of recommendations that would help the sector work more collaboratively to overcome hurdles to adoption and rollout.

    This particularly looked at one of the pressing challenges – outlined in our ten quick wins – in how to pave the way for hydrogen as a decarbonising solution for HGVs where range, power, payload and refuelling times are paramount.

    In the UK’s journey to net zero, transport is one of the main areas where hydrogen is seen as a key route to decarbonisation. The establishment of refuelling infrastructure is vital to underpin hydrogen-fuelled transport. Our paper explored the state of standardisation across hydrogen refuelling and identified gaps in provision while providing recommendations to accelerate progress.

    Standardisation, the development and implementation of technical standards based on health and safety good practices and consensus among technical experts, is a complex landscape with a range of national and international bodies active and varying rates of progress. The paper provided extensive detail on the breadth of current provisions and the players involved.

    Major sticking points identified included the current absence of protocols for refuelling HGVs, the need for design guidelines and component certification and testing standards across different pressure classes, and the lack of a consistent approach to training.

    Future outlook for low-carbon hydrogen

    Whenever we paint a picture of the current hydrogen landscape in the UK and draw attention to the challenges ahead, we must also consider how far we have come.

    Britain remains a world leader in developing low-carbon hydrogen, and a wealth of incredible projects are helping significantly contribute to maintaining that position.

    For example, our member BP is developing a large low-carbon hydrogen project in Teesside. In contrast, our member Protium’s Pioneer One facility is being used in trials of hydrogen-powered buses in South Wales.

    Meanwhile, another of our members, ULEMCo, which converts commercial vehicles to run on hydrogen fuel, recently raised more than £5m for its ‘dual fuel solution’ (H2CED), and member GeoPura secured £56m in funding from outside investors for its hydrogen-fuelled generator.

    © shutterstock/FOTOGRIN_2264470911

    Further positive news is that work is due to start on the first eleven hydrogen production projects that have received government funding for their construction and operation.  These projects have the potential to:

    • Kickstart the low carbon hydrogen economy across the UK, helping meet the ambition of up to 1GW of electrolytic hydrogen production capacity in operation or construction by 2025
    • Deploy at scale at the earliest opportunity, advancing the government’s aim to deploy up to 10GW low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030
    • Provide hydrogen to a range of end-user sectors to help deliver carbon savings and other net zero commitments.

    The funding call for the next round of projects is open. Contracts are expected to be rewarded in early 2025.

    Low-carbon hydrogen in a nutshell

    As it stands, Government backing — which is needed now to support the supply chain of producing, storing and transporting hydrogen, as well as making it the fuel of choice of users — has been slow around the world despite widespread support for the technology as a way to decarbonise energy-intensive industries, long-distance transport and power generation, among others.

    However, the UK is building on a strong foundation, and with a new government at the helm, the future of hydrogen has never looked brighter.

    Certainly, hydrogen fits within the government’s growth agenda and has a crucial role to play in the Clean Energy Superpower Mission; we have already seen the Prime Minister double down on his commitments and make positive progress.

    Low-carbon hydrogen policy continues to be developed at pace, and the path is set. In short, we are walking the walk, and we are ready to continue to jump the hurdles to get to the finish line.

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  • Restoring and reconnecting the Danube wetlands

    Restoring and reconnecting the Danube wetlands

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    The DaWetRest project aims to restore biodiversity to the Danube River and the neighbouring wetlands through reconnection activities and community engagement.

    Within the Lighthouse ‘Danube and the Black Sea’, the Danube Wetlands and flood plains Restoration through systemic, community-engaged, and sustainable innovative actions (DaWetRest) project activities aim to improve the linkage between the Danube and its tributaries with the neighbouring wetlands.

    This supports the Water Framework Directive in all its objectives:
    •   Ensuring the conditions for the normal biological cycles of natural wetlands-river inhabitants such as invertebrates, fish, aquatic flora and fauna,
    •   Improving hydro-morphological quality,
    •   Improving physical and chemical parameters, and
    •   Decreasing water pollutants.

    In addition, the planned creation of green hatchery complexes as nature-based solutions (NBS) contributes to biodiversity improvement. It is in line with the Biodiversity Strategy aimed at increasing waterfowl populations in wetlands. A further innovation is the development of modern methodologies for freshwater monitoring to improve and control the freshwater ecosystems in line with the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’ objectives.

    The Danube ecosystem

    The Danube River Basin (DRB) covers an area of 801.463 km² in 19 countries and is a treasury of freshwater biodiversity that is important to be saved for future generations. Currently, there are numerous protected areas in the DRB. Among them are the wetlands, floodplains, coastal wetlands, salt marshes, and those protected by the Ramsar Convention, mostly to protect the biodiversity of waterfowl since the Danube basin is a major bird nesting area and bird migration corridor.

    danube ecosystem
    Fig. 1: MD DEMO

    Many economic activities, such as agriculture, forestry, economy, tourism, nature protection, etc. depend on the numerous ecosystem services wetlands provide. If well-maintained, wetlands are cycling carbon, water, and nutrients, producing food and fibre, purifying water, regulating water flows, providing habitats, ensuring a high rate of biodiversity through the food chain, retaining accumulated water during floods, reducing eutrophication, and mitigating climate change.

    DaWetRest project operates three DEMO regions – Middle Danube (MD) covering Danube-Deava wetlands at the border of Croatia, Serbia and Hungary; Lower Danube (LD) covering part of the Danube between Bulgaria and Romania and Danube Delta (DD) in Romania, Ukraine and Moldova.

    In these regions, ten sites for innovative actions are chosen to pilot restoration and preservation activities utilising science- and nature-based solutions on the Danube with the active engagement of local citizens and other stakeholders. 14 sibling locations on the tributaries of the Danube and in other parts of the partner countries provide further input to achieve the maximal impact of restoration, improvement, biodiversity increase and community strengthening.

    danube
    Fig. 2: LD DEMO

    Furthermore, six associated regions covering all four lighthouse areas of the Mission are selected where successful replication of DaWetRest solutions is to be implemented.

    The importance of restoration

    During years of no specific attention to nature preservation, anthropogenic activities caused the loss of more than 70% of wetlands, flood plains, and coastal wetlands, such as salt marshes in the DRB. Many sites have been disconnected from the river’s streams. The potential of the mentioned ecosystem types has been reduced or even lost.

    Gaining enlargement of cities or broadening of agricultural lands, the society lost many possibilities for other economic, ecological, geographical, hydrological, social, health, and aesthetic activities. Losing the river’s meandering, flood plains, and wetlands leads to a change in the overall landscape, deteriorating ecological potential, and increasing the risk of flooding and infrastructure damage.

    Human activities have introduced and caused the spread of invasive species, which causes permanent disturbance of ecosystems and significant and fast successions that cannot be compensated by natural processes.

    danube ecosystem
    Fig. 3: DD DEMO

    Thus, the restoration and protection of areas containing the mentioned ecosystem types are urgently needed to mitigate disbalances in nature and harmful effects of natural phenomena such as floods, droughts, decreasing biodiversity, and GHG emissions. Wetlands have a high capacity to sequester and store carbon. Clearing or drainage of wetlands can lead to large losses of stored organic carbon to atmospheric carbon dioxide.

    DaWetRest applies a holistic approach regarding ecosystem connections, understanding that the adjacent wetland areas close to the Danube River need to be restored simultaneously with the Danube River and its tributaries because they all present ecological synergies.

    Partners in DaWetRest work to define the baseline carbon storage for the investigated sites, sequestration and emission rates, and measurement/modelling of carbon flows in different types of wetlands.

    The DaWetRest MD DEMO activities aim to ensure the conditions for the normal biological cycles of natural wetlands-river inhabitants such as invertebrates, fish, aquatic flora, and fauna; improve hydromorphological quality, physical and chemical parameters; and decrease water pollution.

    The LD DEMO activities target introducing an innovative methodology for freshwater monitoring, which will contribute to improving and controlling freshwater ecosystems in line with the Mission objective.

    The most important contribution of the DD DEMO is focused on implementing NBS to increase carbon sequestration capacity using reed management, restore lateral connectivity to save salt marsh habitats by reducing hydrodynamic effects and improve water and soil quality.

    Engaging stakeholders and community

    DaWetRest project partners include academia, public institutions, SMEs, citizens as well as different types of local authorities and regional sectoral administration, which are important stakeholders from the Danube River Basin. The project activities comprise in addition meetings with other stakeholders in the DEMOs regions at all stages of the implementation.

    All are invited to connect with the Mission Charter and further engage with actions for a successful implementation of the Mission and its lighthouses. All are constantly being acquainted with business opportunities with a focus on carbon-neutral, ecologically acceptable, circular-blue, and nature-based solutions at the local level.

    By actively involving the local communities, the project communicates numerous ideas of the EU documents to them, identifies their needs, and promotes restoration and protection of wetlands, climate neutrality, and the blue economy.

    As the DEMO regions are quite different, DaWetRest works on site-specific solutions by combining active and passive measures of restoration that can be modified and successfully replicated in sibling, pilot, and associate region sites.

    Positioning of the project

    The project started from the unbalanced state between human activities and nature, and the main goal is to re-balance this relation, focusing on nature-based solutions while finding a way to extend, replicate and scale up the innovative measures in other European regions (sibling locations and associate regions). One important target of this project is to pave the way for the second stage of the Mission beyond 2026 by scaling up developed, tested and implemented innovation actions.

    DaWetRest is an ecologically acceptable, not harmful, innovative, green, digital, socially involving, economically supporting and citizen-engaging project which provides core interventions that can be replicated in pilot and sibling sites.

    Intelligent monitoring and management systems are designed to support restoration and increase climate resilience of wetlands, flood plains, coastal wetlands, and salt marshes, as well as prepare to use the wetland’s potential in the local economy. Hydraulic models are developed to study different restoration scenarios for the implementation of hydrological works to restore lakes, floodplains, salt marshes and coastal areas.

    New business models, such as Recirculating Aquaculture System fisheries, give new opportunities for local communities and improve water quality and biodiversity. A Digital Portal ensures timely reporting and citizen involvement.

    Partners from Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine work together in DaWetRest, which is coordinated by the Climate, Atmospheric, and Water Research Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

    Please note, this article will also appear in the 19th edition of our quarterly publication.

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  • Cutting-edge research and innovation at USask

    Cutting-edge research and innovation at USask

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    Located in Canada’s Prairies, the University of Saskatchewan is at the cutting edge of research and innovation.

    Innovation is the lifeblood of cutting-edge research, and the University of Saskatchewan (USask) is home to groundbreaking innovation – from the smallest subatomic particles, all the way to outer space.

    World-renowned research hub

    Situated in the heart of the Canadian Prairies, USask attracts researchers and scholars from across the world. Since its establishment in 1907, the university has been foundational to higher education in Saskatchewan and Canada – training world leaders in agriculture, health sciences, business, engineering, art, and more.

    The main USask campus along the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon is home to world-renowned research facilities. The Canadian Light Source (CLS), Canada’s only synchrotron light facility, provides beamline research resources to USask faculty and national and international collaborators. The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) has been at the forefront of developing vaccines for humans and agricultural animals and played a major role in Canada’s COVID-19 pandemic response.

    Major USask institutions, such as the Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS), the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS), and the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation, have placed USask as a leader in providing both infrastructure and expertise needed to address modern-day questions around the world.

    USask is also the proud home of the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre dedicated to Indigenous student achievement and cultural gathering. USask’s Indigenous Strategy was gifted to the university by Indigenous peoples from Saskatoon and Saskatchewan and was informed and developed by representatives of those peoples along with Elders and Knowledge Keepers.

    Peter Stoicheff, President of USask, said: “USask researchers continue to develop new technologies to improve the lives of people around the world.

    “The university’s many research and innovation strengths, including superb faculty and students and unique-in-Canada infrastructure, enable our mission to be what the world needs.”

    In the 2023/24 fiscal year, USask set a record high in the university’s history by attracting C$417m in awarded research funding – showcasing the immense and continuing growth of its research landscape.

    Baljit Singh (PhD), USask’s Vice-President Research, said: “This success is a testament to the researchers, staff, and faculty who have worked hard in our pursuit of innovation in the heart of Saskatchewan.

    “The sky is truly the limit for both new and existing research, scholarly, and artistic work on this campus and in this province, and I am excited to keep this momentum moving forward into the years to come.”

    Research for a better future

    The university has identified nine key Signature Areas of Research as critical avenues for research, scholarly and artistic works that will catapult USask into the future. The Signature Areas are Agriculture, Communities and Sustainability, Energy and Mineral Resources for a Sustainable Future, Health and Wellness, Indigenous Peoples, One Health, Quantum Innovation, Synchrotron Science, and Water.

    USask researchers are constantly creating and innovating. Below are just a few prominent examples:

    Revolutionary robotics for remote healthcare

    In a province as large and widespread as Saskatchewan, accessible healthcare is critical. USask researchers are pioneering new and innovative solutions for remote healthcare – solutions that will benefit populations around the globe.

    Dr Ivar Mendez (MD, PhD) is internationally renowned for spearheading advances in virtual healthcare. A professor emeritus of Neurosurgery in USask’s College of Medicine and the Director of the Virtual Care and Remote Presence Robotics Programs, Mendez was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for his revolutionary telemedicine and robotics advances.

    Mendez’s program at USask has expanded the use of robotics in healthcare throughout the province, Canada, and internationally. Telehealth systems implemented by Mendez and his team have allowed healthcare practitioners to deliver long-distance ultrasounds, provide critical mentoring for the treatment of medical emergencies in remote areas, and provide primary care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    USask’s Virtual Care and Remote Presence Robotics Programs have become exemplary of creative healthcare solutions for remote care around the world, and USask researchers continue to devise new technologies with robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual connectivity to be what the world needs for modern healthcare.

    Vaccine research for creatures large and small

    USask’s VIDO facilities are uniquely suited for the development of new vaccines for both humans and animals as Canada’s Centre for Pandemic Research.

    VIDO is Canada’s largest and most advanced Biosafety Level 3 Agriculture facility in Canada and is designed for the study and creation of illnesses and vaccines for livestock animals, placing the facility and its researchers at USask among the most advanced in the world for animal vaccine development.

    During the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic, VIDO researchers led critical vaccine research and developed two Canadian-made COVID-19 vaccines.

    But VIDO’s innovations are not limited to COVID-19. Researchers like Dr Angela Rasmussen (PhD) and Dr Alyson Kelvin (PhD) have received federal funding to study the highly virulent mpox (formerly referred to as monkeypox), both to better understand its transmission but also to develop therapeutics to treat the illness.

    Canada is banking on the future of VIDO at USask as well, with the most recent federal budget committing C$30m to complete infrastructure developments to include large animal housing for vaccine testing and upgrading VIDO to containment Level 4.

    Once completed, VIDO will be Canada’s only non-government containment Level 4 facility – a unique and incredible institution housed at USask.

    Unlocking the wheat genome and advancing crop science

    The Canadian Prairies are home to some of the largest and most advanced agricultural production in the world – and USask’s Crop Development Centre (CDC) is helping make Saskatchewan producers the most effective on the planet.

    Part of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, the CDC contributes to the research and development of crop varieties to meet the needs of growers and consumers across Canada and around the world. More than 500 commercially available varieties across 40 kinds of crops have been developed and released by the CDC since the institution’s start in 1971.

    World-class researchers at the CDC are also taking the lead on worldwide projects with massive ramifications for food production and security. Dr Curtis Pozniak (PhD), Director of the CDC, led an international project which sequenced the genomes for 15 varieties of wheat, providing an invaluable roadmap for researchers and crop breeders around the world to breed wheat with improved yields and stronger resistances.

    But it’s not only wheat where USask and the CDC are setting the standard. According to a recent economic report, crop varietals produced at the institute have led to billions of dollars and thousands of jobs for the Canadian economy.

    USask is an institution producing revolutionary research, scholarly, and artistic works in the heart of Canada on behalf of the entire world – and the centres and faculty across USask continue to strive to be what the world needs.

    Please note, this article will also appear in the 19th edition of our quarterly publication.

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  • INN-PRESSME continues developments for bio-based solutions

    INN-PRESSME continues developments for bio-based solutions

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    Leveraging cutting-edge technology to create sustainable bio-based solutions for a variety of industries, INN-PRESSME provides an update on its recent progress.

    Circular thinking is key to securing the future of fossil-based industries worldwide. The ‘European Green Deal’ has set out a roadmap aiming to pave the way to a circular economy in Europe, with objectives including net-zero emissions by 2050, guiding sustainable development. While this presents a useful tool, the targets are ambitious, and the development of sustainable bio-based alternatives requires dedicated research and funding to present commercially viable and competitive options.

    This is where the INN-PRESSME Open Innovation Test Bed excels. Comprising 27 partners across nine countries, the consortium is dedicated to developing industrial bio-based solutions to replace fossil-dependent products throughout a variety of industries.

    INN-PRESSME provides a platform for small companies to collaborate and achieve their objectives on a large scale. The OITB takes a comprehensive approach and is committed to developing market-ready products to support companies in their transition to green practices. The consortium also provides digital tools for modelling and data collection, enabling companies to maximise their use of materials.

    An Open Innovation Test Bed is a set of entities collaborating with a shared set of facilities, transferring knowledge to develop, test, and upscale nanotechnology and advanced materials in industrial environments. Funded by Horizon Europe 2020, the consortium has been working to tackle the issue of sustainability in the packaging, energy, transport, and consumer goods sectors.

    The project: State-of-the-art bio-based solutions

    In the 14th edition of The Innovation Platform, INN-PRESSME briefed us on the state-of-the-art nanomaterials, bio-based materials, and end materials developed by the OITB and their use in sustainable and recyclable solutions. Featuring test cases such as a shoe sole and a fibre-based pouch for packing greasy food made of sustainable materials, the article emphasised the competitiveness of these alternative materials and their potential for use across various industries.

    The INN-PRESSME project is split into upgrading the OITB Pilot Lines and developing test-case applications for different sectors seeking sustainable alternatives. With a network of 16 Pilot Lines stretching across Europe, INN-PRESSME can process sustainable raw materials into end products and test their performance. This comprehensive approach will allow for both breadth and depth, considering efficiency across the supply chain as a whole as well as analysis of individual stages, unlocking the most competitive outcome.

    Nine test cases, focused on packaging, consumer goods, energy, and transport, were chosen to validate the pilot lines and demonstrate the vital need for sustainable products in building a circular economy. Central to each test case is its design to be reusable or recyclable. Using the innovative bio-based and nanotechnology materials developed by INN-PRESSME, these applications showcased the capacity to produce and recycle products using sustainable methods, providing a viable alternative to those made from fossil-based raw materials.

    The open call

    One year later, INN-PRESSME is still delivering cutting-edge sustainable bio-based solutions across a range of products. Having completed the demonstration of the nine test cases, two Open Call rounds were launched in 2023 to enable companies to trial, upgrade and upscale their new products using the INN-PRESSME piloting services. Altogether, 11 projects were selected, representing companies from nine European countries. The five winners for the first round were announced in December 2023, with a focus on bio-based packaging applications and a UV-curable bio-based wood coating.

    In April 2024, INN-PRESSME was thrilled to announce the six projects selected through the second round of the Open Call. The six projects are developing diverse bio-based products such as printed antennas, smart insoles, bio-based composite materials from textile waste, sustainable batteries, PHA‑based blends, and wood-based foams for packaging. All of the eleven small-scale projects selected will utilise the pilot lines’ capabilities to develop, test, demonstrate, and verify a new bio-based material, technology, or product tailored to a particular application. The second round of Open Call winners are:

    Woodfoam

    Developed to counter plastic pollution by Finnish company Woamy Oy, the biofoam material made from wood has the potential to revolutionise the sustainable packaging industry. In comparison with other biofoams, Woamy biofoam exhibits an excellent strength-per-density ratio. Woamy intends to upscale its biofoam production as well as improve the material, aiming to add water-resistant to its list of qualities.

    BioGuard

    Cambridge Graphene Ltd’s biodegradable antennas for counterfeit protection aim to be fully recyclable or biodegradable while transforming printed processes. Using graphene-based inks for cost-effective, large-scale printing, BioGuard will create fully recyclable or biodegradable carbon NFC antennas on paper or cardboard substrates for simple asset information or counterfeit protection.

    CEC4BAA

    The successful concept proposed by Ecorbio and CyRIC combines Ecorbio’s advancements in sustainable biopolyol production with CyRIC’s progress in smart insoles manufacturing. Together with INN-PRESSME, the collaboration will explore the potential of utilising biopolyol to create custom-tailored wearables that enhance workplace safety using thermoplastic biopolyurethane (bioTPU).

    Cellucircle

    Cellucircle is a textile recycling pilot project aiming to extract nanocellulose from cotton in post-consumer textiles and reuse it in new biobased products. In addition, their process allows the direct production of nanocomposites from mixed textile waste. Using the INN-PRESSME platform, the company will validate the process and demonstrate on a pilot scale the value of transforming post-consumer textiles into high-worth bio-based additives, composites, and 3D printed items.

    NAMBAT

    Delfort Group, based in Austria, will conduct its NAMBAT project, using nanoscale cellulose materials to create sustainable, high-quality components for batteries. By creating fibre-based separators from bio-sourced cellulose and integrating them into battery systems, NAMBAT aims to develop an alternative to petroleum-based compounds. Using INN-PRESSME’s platform, the project will conduct a market analysis to assess the potential impact of this product on the battery market.

    PHARAON

    The PHARAON project by French company Natureplast will develop polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-based biodegradable blends for casting and extrusion blowing. Current PHA usage is focused on injection moulding processes, excluding those products that would be created using alternative methods. PHARAON will offer new commercial solutions with higher biobased content and reduced environmental impact.

    Progress and promising results

    In Issue 14, we detailed the hemp and flax shoe sole in development by Podoactiva and supported by INN-PRESSME. The company aimed to create sustainable shoe soles that did not sacrifice the functionality of the shoe.

    After two years of development and rigorous testing, a final prototype has been created. It was a period of continuous improvement, trialling and redesigning the sole based on observations from previous attempts. The final prototype is promising, proving to be durable and functional and possessing antimicrobial properties – goodbye smelly shoes!

    The INN-PRESSME Open Innovation Test Bed is well on its way to helping start-ups, SMEs, and large companies develop bio-based solutions for our sustainable future. With so many exciting projects on the horizon, be sure to visit our website to stay updated on our progress and news.

    Please note, this article will also appear in the 19th edition of our quarterly publication.

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  • Population-level health research for a healthier Canada

    Population-level health research for a healthier Canada

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    Dr Philip Awadalla, National Scientific Director of CanPath, explains how the population cohort works to facilitate health research with a vision that includes creating healthy environments, partnering with Indigenous communities, and fostering better data security practices.

    The Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath) has become a cornerstone of health research in Canada and, as it hits 15 years since its launch, the longitudinal population health cohort is in its prime. Representing one in every 100 Canadians between the ages of 30 and 74, CanPath is not just a platform – it is a reflection of our nation’s commitment to understanding and improving health for all Canadians.

    With over 330,000 participants who have generously contributed their health and biological information, we have created an unparalleled resource for researchers. CanPath makes genomic, environmental, lifestyle, and electronic health-related data available to the scientific research community. This data is the foundation for long-term population health studies that delve into the intricate interplay between health, lifestyle, and risk factors.

    As our participants age, some may encounter health challenges like cancer or heart disease. At these critical junctures, CanPath data becomes invaluable. Researchers can examine this wealth of information to identify factors contributing to disease onset.

    Supporting environmental protection and Canadians’ right to a healthy environment

    Over the years, CanPath data has illuminated the health risks of air pollutants and their connection to chronic disease and cancer through studies published in Nature Communications and Nature. This research supports the principles of Canadian parliamentary Bill S-5, which aims to strengthen environmental protection and acknowledges the right to a healthy environment. It’s a reminder of our surroundings’ impact on health and the importance of policy in safeguarding our air quality.

    We are excited to take the impact of our data further. Our upcoming Diet & Physical Activity study will enhance our environmental exposure data and explore the influence of retail food environments (RFEs) on diet quality. This study, a first in Canada, will assess how access to various food sources like restaurants and grocery stores shapes dietary habits on a large scale. It will examine the effects of RFEs on diet quality, considering factors such as the built and social environment and individual-level chronic disease risk factors. This aligns with the 2019 Canada’s Food Guide and aims to provide insights across communities and provinces.

    Our partnership with the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) has enriched our datasets with walkability, greenness, and air quality measures. These variables are linked to CanPath data and are available to researchers. This collaboration is a stride towards a comprehensive understanding of how our environment impacts health, particularly in the context of climate change.

    By leveraging our extensive resources and data, we are poised to deliver timely insights into the effects of climate change on Canadians’ health.

    Honouring Indigenous voices in health research

    At CanPath, we are ensuring our research reflects the respect and partnerships we value with Indigenous communities. Indigenous communities are diverse and span Canada, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. Over 7,000 CanPath participants have self-identified as Indigenous and shared their health and lifestyle information with us.

    CanPath is committed to meeting the unique needs of Canada’s diverse communities through a transparent approach that upholds the principles of ownership, control, access, and possession (OCAP). To honour this commitment, CanPath is collaborating with Indigenous partners and scholars to develop appropriate processes for accessing and using Indigenous data and biosamples.

    We approach this process with humility and dedication as we continue to learn from Indigenous scholars and partners. As we move forward, we’re dedicated to collaborating with Indigenous partners to ensure our research upholds the rights and values of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.

    By stepping back to listen and learn, we’re finding better paths forward, ensuring our research honours principles of Indigenous data governance and the spirit of collaboration and respect with Indigenous Peoples.

    Advancing health research with secure data access

    With our soon-to-be-launched trusted research environment, CanPath will provide researchers with a more secure and efficient way to access and analyse vital health data. With a generous $6.2m grant from Genome Canada, this cloud-based platform will revolutionise how researchers utilise the rich health data from over 330,000 Canadians in our cohort.

    This new environment aligns with the practices of leading international data resources and adds an extra layer of security, ensuring that the privacy and integrity of participant data are maintained. By centralising data access, we eliminate the need to move large datasets around, making it easier for researchers to collaborate and integrate various data sources.

    This initiative is a testament to CanPath’s unwavering focus on advancing health research. We are enhancing how we share data and ensuring we remain at the cutting edge of health research infrastructure.

    Fostering collaboration

    Our new approaches foster diversity and inclusiveness in research, encourage international collaboration, and ultimately enhance the cohort’s value in advancing global health. While we evolve our data access process, engage with diverse communities in Canada, and enrich the CanPath resource with more diet, physical activity, and environmental data, we’re ensuring that future health research and personalised treatments can benefit Canadians and the global scientific community. Our goal is to set a global benchmark for disease risk understanding and prevention. Reaching CanPath’s 15-year mark is exhilarating, and we are eager to witness the advancements that the next 15 years will bring.

    Please note, this article will also appear in the 19th edition of our quarterly publication.

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  • Pursuing excellence in healthcare innovation and research

    Pursuing excellence in healthcare innovation and research

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    The Jewish General Hospital and the Integrated Health and Social Services University Network for West-Central Montreal are committed to enhancing patient care through healthcare innovation. Here, they discuss their recent efforts to guide the institution towards a user-centric and technology-driven future.

    TO FULLY appreciate the deep, long-term commitment to healthcare innovation at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH), one must start by looking back to 1934, the year the hospital was launched. Within days of opening their doors, surgeons were already using a mechanised, adjustable operating table – the first of its kind in Canada – that was particularly effective in fracture cases since it allowed X-ray imaging to be performed on the spot.

    Pursuit of innovation in healthcare

    Since those early days, a great deal has changed. Back then, the JGH was an autonomous healthcare institution. In contrast, today, it is the central pillar in a network of 34 interconnected and interdependent facilities, known as the Integrated Health and Social Services University Network for West-Central Montreal (or, more commonly, CIUSSS West-Central Montreal).

    What has not changed, however, is the hospital’s – and, by extension, the entire network’s – intense dedication to healthcare innovation and research. This dedication is driven by a determination to deliver exceptional care that focuses on and responds to the needs of individual patients, clients, and other healthcare users.

    Far from being a recent product of the digital age, the pursuit of innovation is deeply embedded in the DNA of the Jewish General Hospital and CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, with roots that date all the way back to that early operating room.

    Dr Lawrence Rosenberg, President and CEO of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, said: “This drive for innovation has manifested itself not just in a willingness to embrace change, but in a desire to actively nurture creative thinking and evidence-based research.

    healthcare innovation

    “At the same time, we understand what should not be changed: Compassion for our patients, one-to-one contact with them, respect for their feelings, and a commitment to listening to their concerns. Though we take pride in improvements to our practices and technology, our obligation is to keep asking ourselves, ‘What more can we do?’”

    The result, most recently, has been a spate of impressive and, on occasion, award-winning initiatives. These include C4, a Command Centre where dozens of screens provide staff with real-time, network-wide data about numerous aspects of patient care; the Hospital@Home programme, in which certain qualified patients return home, where a hospital-based care team continuously and remotely monitors them; and the Connected Health Record (now in its preliminary phase), which will enable staff to use a single application to quickly and easily review a full range of up-to-date medical information about any patient seen at any CIUSSS site.

    OROT

    Of key importance in guiding the JGH and the CIUSSS in new directions is OROT (Hebrew for ‘illumination’), a connected health innovation hub and incubator.

    With one of the most comprehensive and distinctive innovation programmes in a healthcare setting in Canada, OROT has a mandate to support organisation-wide efforts to reimagine the future of care through adaptive culture change, strategic foresight, digital transformation and the co-creation of technology.

    Over the past four years, OROT has helped the CIUSSS leap toward a future where user-centric technology is assisting clinicians to provide more and better care, with improved results, to patients who are empowered to take charge of their health.

    OROT’s many services are designed to support the network’s employees in reimagining the way they provide care. They do so by helping them gain knowledge and skills related to digital technology, leading them through the process of open, user-centric innovation, and offering them expertise in managing innovation and integrating technology.

    To assist in building a future-proof healthcare system, OROT employs methods that involve strategic foresight to help the organisation consider how the trends that shape healthcare will affect the way that services must adapt in order to be resilient and thrive amid change.

    In 2023, OROT facilitated two major cross-functional workshops to lead the directorates of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal through the process of future backcasting by equipping them with the means of anticipating and growing excited about taking the lead in transforming healthcare. Their goal was to re-imagine a primary-care centre and medical library of the future.

    Through its internationally recognised incubation programme, OROT also fosters the creation and commercialisation of the next generation of digital health technologies. OROT offers a unique and integrated environment based on interdisciplinary collaboration and the process of co-creation and validation of new technologies. The aim is to catalyse their development, commercialisation, market launch, and, ultimately, user adoption.

    To do this, OROT facilitates access and collaboration among health professionals, users, and entrepreneurs. Together, they cooperate in developing and implementing tools and products that satisfy the practical, real-world needs of patients and the requirements of the professionals who provide care.

    The creation of innovative digital health technologies begins with an idea, which is tested, developed, and then commercialised. The process ends when the innovation – often in the form of a new tool or product – arrives in the hands of users, who may be clinicians, patients or caregivers. However, the journey to the marketplace can be very treacherous, as more than 95% of companies fail in the course of trying to serve the healthcare sector.

    Danina Kapetanovic, the CIUSSS’s Chief Innovation Officer, Founder, and Head of OROT, notes that few companies succeed in developing and integrating technologies that truly transform healthcare because they use strategies that originate in the tech sector. As a result, companies start by inventing a product and then hope prospective consumers will find a good reason to buy it.

    Ms Kapetanovic explained: “A better approach – our approach – is to support needs-driven innovation. As an initial step, we help entrepreneurs acquire a deep understanding of a particular problem in the healthcare sector. They gain this understanding through direct contact – facilitated by OROT – with healthcare professionals, patients and their families. This gives them a sound basis for designing technology that is uniquely suited to solving a problem.”

    Working with entrepreneurs and experts from CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, OROT uses an integrated model of co-development, testing and evaluation, and implementation that is user-centric and informed by large-scale data science. The goal is to ensure that the proposed product will meet everyone’s requirements by the time it reaches the marketplace.

    Utilising the OROT platform

    Using this dynamic approach, OROT has made many unique endeavours possible. Among them (to name only a few):

    Improving communication

    Braver, a Québec startup that had developed an app for secure clinical communication, worked with OROT to enhance the platform to improve contact between clinicians and patients. Since early 2023, the app has been used in a paediatric setting in CIUSSS West-Central Montreal to give parents greater insight into the nature of their child’s therapy and to improve communication with therapists.

    Harnessing AI

    Partnering with IVADO Labs for their AI expertise and the CIUSSS’s Logistics Directorate, OROT has helped co-design and is currently testing an AI tool that will make logistics at the CIUSSS more accurate, cost-effective, efficient and proactive, thereby saving valuable resources.

    Improving telephone services

    OROT is collaborating with a CIUSSS directorate for proximity services and with a Québec company, VitrAi, by bringing in AI support to optimise the regional health consultation telephone service.

    Optimised patient triage

    In collaboration with the Toronto company Signal 1 and with the CIUSSS’s Hospital@Home programme, OROT is supporting the co-design of an algorithm that will allow for optimised patient triage.

    Cutting-edge technologies

    OROT has helped bring several cutting-edge technologies into the network. These include remote vital-sign monitoring devices currently used in the Hospital@Home programme, augmented reality to improve the care and stimulation of elderly individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, AI support to optimise patient scheduling in oncology clinics, sensors to optimise telerehabilitation services, and point-of-care blood and urine testing.

    Comprehensive and tailored approach

    Ms Kapetanovic points out that OROT is internationally recognised as a rarity among incubators. It guides and steers companies throughout the cycle of innovation while providing them with ongoing support and coaching until their products are integrated into the healthcare continuum.

    This invaluable assistance – and its subsequent contribution to improving the quality of care – is the reason OROT has become an essential component of ‘Care Everywhere’, the broad-based, patient-centred approach to care that is fundamental to CIUSSS West-Central Montreal. As Dr Rosenberg notes, “Using ‘Care Everywhere’ as our guidepost, we continually strive to achieve the right outcomes by delivering the right care at the right time in the location that is most appropriate, safest and most convenient for patients and other healthcare users.” See OROT and the cycle of innovation graph pictured below.

    Dedicated research facilities

    Like innovation, research also has deep roots in the many facilities of CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, particularly at the Jewish General Hospital. During the JGH’s earliest decades, research was conducted in any adequate corner that happened to be available.

    However, as the hospital grew in size and stature, the need for a dedicated research wing became increasingly apparent. Since its inauguration in 1969, the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (LDI) has grown into one of Canada’s leading research facilities. In addition to conducting pure research, it encourages researcher-clinicians to pursue projects that have practical applications, taking them from the bedside to the laboratory and back again.

    Over the years, the LDI has attracted outstanding investigators with national and international reputations in such specialised areas as cancer therapeutics, molecular oncology, cell and gene therapy, AIDS/HIV, ageing, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, clinical epidemiology, and the psychosocial aspects of the disease.

    With a staff of over 400 employees, including more than 200 investigators and at least 290 trainees, the LDI received nearly $32m in grants and produced a total of 829 peer-reviewed publications in 2023.

    Success stories

    The LDI has made a significant impact with many of its projects, including the following:

    BioPortal

    The BQC19-JGH Biobank implements hospital-based genomic medicine to improve clinical care, improve the diagnosis of disease, upgrade the efficiency of test ordering, and enhance the prediction of drug responses.

    Building on the success of BQC19, the BioPortal was established in 2022 as a bio-banking programme dedicated to conducting research into a range of diseases. Investigators are using the genetic information collected from a diverse population to better understand risk factors and causes of diseases, with the ultimate goal of improving clinical care.

    BioPortal currently focuses on improving care for diabetes and will expand to other diseases.

    Brain cell research

    A team of researchers from across North America, co-led by a principal investigator at the LDI, has discovered that certain brain cells may be inherently vulnerable to mutations that cause high-grade gliomas (highly aggressive and fatal paediatric brain tumours). These findings could help guide the design of clinical trials for new and improved therapies against the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children and young adults.

    The Scleroderma Patient-centred Intervention Network

    The Scleroderma Patient-centred Intervention Network (SPIN), led by a senior LDI investigator, is the largest cohort-based trial infrastructure in any rare disease in the world. It maintains a cohort of over 2,300 active participants in 50 centres in seven countries, in collaboration with more than 100 researchers and patients from almost 15 patient organisations. Individuals and organisations involved in SPIN are working on a novel project to develop, adapt and test new and existing programmes to help people with scleroderma cope with their illness and manage their daily lives.

    Plasmonic PCR

    A team of LDI researchers has developed a rapid plasmonic point-of-care PCR platform to detect pathogens associated with pandemics or antimicrobial resistance. This was the first plasmonic POC prototype built entirely in Montreal. Plasmonic PCR is simple, quick and efficient, with a prototype that has been successfully tested in detecting chlamydia, gonorrhoea, sars-COV2, HIV, HCV and e. coli.

    Virtual biopsy development

    One of the most powerful and novel technologies in oncology is the development of assays to detect cancer DNA (ctDNA) in the blood. A lab at the LDI is developing a virtual biopsy for precision oncology – i.e., a platform to detect minimal residual cancer in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and surgery.

    This test aims to generate personalised ctDNA assays to accurately predict the prognosis of each patient and determine the indication for further anti-cancer therapy. The project is funded by a grant from Genome Québec to support the translation of this platform to the clinic for patients with early breast cancer.

    Dr Rosenberg said: “No doubt, a time traveller from 1934 would be dazzled by these and many other of our developments in innovation and research. However, the impetus behind them would be instantly recognisable: To acquire, adapt or develop the best existing practices and technology and to place them in the caring, compassionate hands of our staff. Today and for nearly a century, we have not simply been waiting for tomorrow to arrive; we are making it happen.”

    Please note, this article will also appear in the 19th edition of our quarterly publication.

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