CSIR-IMMT Bhubaneswar and University of Saskatchewan Canada sign Joint Declaration of Intent to advance critical minerals research

New Delhi(13/09/2025): The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research – Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT), Bhubaneswar, India, and the University of Saskatchewan (USask), Saskatoon, Canada, have taken a significant step in critical minerals research collaboration through a Joint Declaration of Intent.

At a ceremony hosted at the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi, Dr.Ramanuj Narayan, Director of CSIR-IMMT, formalized the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI).

Dr.Baljit Singh, Vice-President Research, USask, participated virtually and reaffirmed the University’s commitment to the collaboration.

The event was presided over by Scott Matthies, Managing Director, and Harish Vaidyanathan, Senior Trade and Investment Officer from the Saskatchewan Trade Office in India, with faculty and scientists from both countries also joining online. This understanding follows a high-level delegation from the University of Saskatchewan to CSIR-IMMT in March 2025.

With today’s milestone, both institutions have reinforced their shared vision for joint research in critical minerals, alongside broader scientific and academic cooperation.

The initiative has been coordinated by Dr.Kali Sanjay, Chief Scientist and Head of Business Development at CSIR-IMMT, and Derek Tiessen, International Partnerships Specialist at USask, with active participation from faculty and researchers on both sides. The University of Saskatchewan, located in Canada’s province of Saskatchewan, operates in one of the world’s leading mining jurisdictions, ranked 1st in Canada and 3rd globally for mining investment attractiveness.

Saskatchewan is endowed with 27 of the 34 recognized critical minerals, along with the world’s largest deposits of potash and high-grade uranium.

It is also home to Canada’s first Rare Earth Processing Facility, a cornerstone for building resilient supply chains in green technologies.

Among USask’s nine signature research areas is Energy and Mineral Resources for a Sustainable Future. CSIR-IMMT, recently recognized as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) under India’s National Critical Minerals Mission, brings over six decades of expertise in critical minerals research, technology development, and commercialization.

The Institute has successfully demonstrated and transferred several breakthrough technologies for the recovery of battery metals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper from both primary and secondary resources, working in partnership with industry and academic stakeholders. The collaboration between CSIR-IMMT and USask is set to advance innovation in mineral extraction and processing, promote exchange of knowledge and expertise, strengthen human resource development, and create opportunities for joint research and academic programming contributing to global efforts to secure a sustainable supply of critical minerals.