Cambrian College receives national accreditation for expertise in mining

A Sudbury-based college is now nationally known for its applied research in mining.

On Thursday, the Government of Canada announced that Cambrian College has been designated as a national Technology Access Centre (TAC).

The designation means the college will receive $1.75-million over five years from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Cambrian College's TAC centre will be known as the Centre for Smart Mining. According to the college, it will provide "access to a specialized technology, equipment and expertise to local industry — particularly small and medium sized enterprises — with the goal of enhancing their productivity and innovation."

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Cambrian and really does speak to the amazing work we've been doing in applied research," Mike Commito, Cambrian's Director of Applied Research said.

"This designation opens the door to more applied research projects involving our faculty and students, working with industry partners to come up with real-world, real-time solutions to challenges they're facing now in the industry."

He adds students will immediately benefit from having the latest developments right at their fingertips.

"They leave with that innovative mindset that's ultimately very valuable among partners in the workforce right now," he said.

Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré says it makes sense for Cambrian to have the designation.

"With its wealth of experience, infrastructure, expertise and existing relationships with industry partners, Cambrian is extremely well-positioned to advance entrepreneurial activity in mining technology," he said.

"We can confidently expect that through its Centre for Smart Mining, Cambrian will become an even greater resource for mining technology developers and producers."