MIRARCO Mining Innovation proudly celebrated the grand opening of its new piloting facility on the evening of October 16, 2025. The event welcomed attendees from industry, government, and academia to celebrate the milestone and explore the space.
The piloting facility will serve as a hub for applied research in bioleaching and bioprocessing, with the goal of extracting valuable critical minerals from legacy and emerging mine wastes while minimizing ecological impact, ensuring a more sustainable mining future.
"With this new piloting facility, MIRARCO is helping shape the next era of mining innovation one focused on clean technology, critical minerals, and training the workforce of tomorrow. This space connects research, industry, and community partners to deliver real solutions that will drive sustainable growth across the North and beyond," said President and CEO Dr. Nadia Mykytczuk.
Prior to this facility expansion, MIRARCO was housed at Laurentian University. The two organizations continue to maintain their long standing partnership:
"Since MIRARCO's inception as a subsidiary organization of Laurentian University, we have been proud to support its ongoing evolution and its mission of mining innovation, education, and leadership. This grand opening marks the beginning of the exciting next phase of MIRARCO's bright future. Our relationship with MIRARCO will continue to be an important aspect of Laurentian University's standing as Canada's Mining University," said Dr. Lynn Wells, President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University.
The opening of the piloting facility comes at a pivotal moment for Canada's mining industry. Amid rising pressures to strengthen the critical minerals supply chain and growing concerns regarding the safety and sustainability of traditional mining practices, MIRARCO's focus on innovation reveals a promising new approach.
"Vale Base Metals is proud to celebrate this milestone with MIRARCO, a long-standing partner in innovation. This new facility represents a bold step forward in our shared commitment to sustainable mining and circular economy solutions. Together, we are transforming mine waste into opportunity advancing technologies that not only recover critical minerals but also reduce environmental impact for future generations," says Gord Gilpin, Director of Ontario Operations at Vale Base Metals.
This expansion is part of a larger vision of scaling up and establishing a novel research centre; the proposed Centre for Mine Waste Biotechnology.
"Sudbury is the epicentre of mining and mining innovation. For decades, MIRARCO has been an important driver for industry solutions, innovation, and research. Today's opening of the piloting facility is another step towards securing Sudbury's role on a global stage as a critical piece in the strategic minerals supply chain.I want to commend Dr. Mykytczuk and her team at MIRARCO for their tremendous dedication to bringing this centre to fruition. Our government recognizes the critical need for investments in generational economic opportunities, and we are proud to support the Centre for Mine Waste Biotechnology with a $5,000,000 investment," saidViviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament Sudbury.
Sudbury MPP Jaime West said of the goal, "The opening of MIRARCO's piloting facility is the first step towards establishing a Centre for Mine Waste Biotechnology in Northern Ontario, a facility focussed on developing solutions to extract value from waste and reduce environmental liabilities. I've always been a big supporter of the work that Mirarco is doing, and I look forward to seeing their team expand their capacity to help the province and community with responsible mining."
In a meaningful demonstration of its commitment to reconciliation and shared prosperity, MIRARCO also announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taighwenini Technical Services Corporation (TTSC), the economic development arm of Wahnapitae First Nation.
Through this partnership, MIRARCO and TTSC will collaborate on joint commercialization of biomining and bioremediation technologies, youth training programs in mineral processing, microbiology, chemistry, automation, and process control, and industrial demonstration projects focused on reclaiming legacy mine tailings.
The launch of the piloting facility was made possible through the support of multiple partners and funders, including NOHFC, CanmetMINING, Cambrian College, and the City of Greater Sudbury Development Corporation (GSDC).
Special thanks were extended to the Goodman School of Mines team who work jointly with MIRARCO under Mykytczuk's leadership.
