Saskatchewan Research Council shows off projects, services at tech expo

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The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) is working to educate people about its numerous projects.

It hosted a research expo on Wednesday and Thursday at its Saskatoon offices with numerous displays to inform visitors about its work.

SRC president and CEO Mike Crabtree said the event was a first for the organization, which is among the largest of its kind in the country.

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“(SRC) is now the second largest research development and commercialization organization in Canada after the National Research Council,” he said.

Some of the technologies on display at the expo are on the leading edge, he said.

The display booths showcased a variety of SRC projects, including work on environmental remediation, cyber security, lithium processing and micro-reactor development.

Crabtree told media the SRC created the event to showcase the work so people inside the organization could learn about it and to educate outside groups, including funders, community partners and representatives from Indigenous organizations, which are especially vital to some of the work SRC is doing on nuclear technology.

“I don’t think that the micro-reactor nuclear strategy that we’re hoping to engage with the province will occur without not only First Nations engagement, but First Nations ownership,” he said.

Rare earth minerals — specifically processing them — has also been a major focus for the SRC lately. The research council has been developing a facility to process rare earth minerals in Saskatoon and has already produced some minerals at commercial scale.

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“It’s on schedule for the whole facility to come online mid-next year,” he said.

Crabtree noted the SRC has existed for 75 years with a mandate to encourage economic and industrial development in Saskatchewan. It’s grown significantly in the last five to six years, with its biggest projects focused on nuclear and critical minerals.

Over the last several years, its workforce has grown to around 450 people in a range of professions, including scientists, engineers and technicians.

“Probably five years ago we would be in that sort of 300 mark, so we’ve increased by about 50 per cent, by about 150 people,” he said.

It’s talking about further expansion into other areas it considers vital, Crabtree added. Expansion talks are in the preliminary stages and the organization needs to do due diligence before taking on any new work, he added.

“When we engage with a project we need to see it through, we need to make sure that we can deliver what we say we’re going to be able to deliver.”

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