Applications open for IMII’s DEMOday and Innovation Award 2024

Saskatoon, SK – Applications are now open for the IMII’s DEMOday and Innovation Award 2024. DEMOday invites innovators, be they inventors, start-ups, or supply chain companies, to apply to pitch their innovative solutions – equipment, technologies, products, or processes that solves an industry problem for one or more of IMII’s minerals company members.  

“Innovation is important to Saskatchewan’s minerals industry and the province, that’s why the IMII created DEMOday in 2018,’ said Al Shpyth, Executive Director of the IMII. “Our message to innovators is clear – we are looking for innovations that matter to mining, and we’re calling on everyone who believes they have a solution to one or more of our technology needs to submit your ideas. 

The IMII will accept applications until February 23, 2024 at DEMOday – International Minerals Innovation Institute (imii.ca), for a range of technologies needs inclusive of advanced chemicals, biological alternatives, carbon capture and storage, corrosion mitigation and prevention, electrification or battery applications, emissions controls, heat recovery, energy efficiency, machine learning, geological mapping, mobile equipment, process solutions, production efficiency, remote sensing, safety solutions, tailings management and water solutions. A complete list of needs was released on December 13, 2023 and can be found at DEMOday – International Minerals Innovation Institute (imii.ca).  

Companies selected to participate in DEMOday will present their technologies to a panel of experts from IMII’s principal minerals companies’ members – BHP, Cameco, Fission Uranium, Mosaic and Nutrien.  

Examples of technologies that have been selected to pitch to past DEMOdays include:

• The prototype (submitted by Prairie Machine of Saskatoon, SK) for what has is now Rokion’s Battery Powered Truck Technology | Rokion
• Continental Mine & Industrial Supply Ltd.’s (Saskatoon. SK) DC-54-UG Underground Dust Collection System (for other offerings from CMI see MINING EQUIPMENT Archives – Continental Mine & Industrial Supply Ltd. (cmisk.ca))
• The SafeBox System was nominated by EECOL Electric’s Oil & Gas, Mining Industrial Division of Estevan, SK and developed by Ionic Mechatronics of Lively, ON. More information may be found at SafeBox™ – Reduce Lockout Time to Seconds (safeboxsystems.com).
• 2S Water’s (Edmonton, AB) Aquavalid Sensor (see Sensor Solutions – 2S Water)
• Extract Energy (Cambridge, ON) and the Extract Energy heat engine (see Our Technology – Extract Energy)

All of these were winners of IMII’s Innovation Award and became eligible for funding to further development and/or trial their technologies at one of IMII’s minerals members’ sites.

Quick Facts

• DEMOday is an opportunity for those interested in building new minerals industry partnerships in response to a technological need, connecting with the IMII and other funders to support technology development, demonstration, and deployment, or looking to grow their company through innovation.
• 2024 is IMII’s sixth DEMOday.
• IMII has received more than 200 applications to DEMOday.
• IMII is presently funding two Demonstrating Innovations projects to trial technologies pitched to DEMOday.

News Release