International Minerals Innovation Institute

IMII 2nd Annual General Meeting and Funding Announcement for Research and Development and Education and Training Initiatives

International Minerals Innovation Institute (IMII) hosts its 2nd Annual General Meeting on Thursday, March 20, 2014 starting at 4:00 pm at The Willows Golf and Country Club. Presentations will begin at 4:30 pm with a networking reception to follow.

In conjunction with our AGM, it is our pleasure to announce that on December 12, 2013 IMII’s Board of Directors approved to support two research and development projects for $1,100,000 and four education and training projects for $3,276,000 for a total of $4,376,000, bringing our 2013 funding contributions to $6,050,000. These six projects focus on safety, environment and developing specialized training for the mining industry.  Please see the attached sheet for briefs about the projects.

Engin Öberk, Executive Director and Senior Technical Advisor of IMII says, “We are pleased and very proud to announce our second package of funding in less than a year. We believe through initiatives like these projects, the collaborations of industry, government and post-secondary institutions are going to help us to produce real outcomes for a world-class minerals industry. IMII is able to provide this funding from our existing financial resources raised by the industry and the provincial government.”

“The Government of Saskatchewan is pleased to see continued support for International Minerals Innovation Institute projects,” Advanced Education Minister Rob Norris said. “IMII is a key component in the strategy for growing mining production and exports within the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth and works with our post-secondary institutions to develop and deliver quality programs to meet mining sector needs.”

“This announcement by IMII to support and enhance post secondary education and research and development will further strengthen the minerals industry in Saskatchewan and Canada. This is an important step in enhancing our economy,” stated Dr. Gordon Barnhart, Board Chair of IMII.

The Details:
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2014
Time: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Place: Twilight Room, Willows Golf and Country Club, 382 Cartwright Street, Saskatoon, SK

Guest Speakers:

Honorable Rob Norris, Minister of Advance Education;

Jade Anderson, graduate student in Applied Psychology, University of Saskatchewan;

About International Minerals Innovation Institute:

International Minerals Innovation Institute, a unique public-private-post-secondary partnership jointly funded by industry and government, is a catalyst to developing industry-driven education and training programs to address labour force needs in the sector. The Institute will also conduct industry-driven research and development to address extraction, processing, environment and safety, exploration, and marketing issues to ensure the continued expansion of the industry.

IMII’s current activities and future plans are driven by industry priorities. Through the Board of Directors and separate panels for both education and training and research and development, collaboration occurs amongst industry, government and post-secondary institutions to clearly define the need, solution, implementation plan and outcomes together.

For more information, contact:

Engin Özberk
IMII Executive Director & Senior Technical Advisor
(306) 668-2070
[email protected]