A two-year memorandum of understanding has extended the partnership between Regina’s Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC) and Mitacs, a not-for-profit organization linking companies with post-secondary researchers. The deal supplies the PTRC with the funds to attract professional clients and provide internship research programs. Mitacs CEO, Dr. Stephen Lucas was joined at the signing by PTRC President and CEO Erik Nickel and Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff. Several interns of the program were in attendance for the signing, their studies ranging from underground hydrogen storage to CO2-based oil recovery. “Mitacs for many years has been very important to the PTRC’s success in bringing academic research to industry and to the world that helps increase oil production in an environmentally friendly way,” Nickel explained. The expanded partnership will build off the previous nine-year agreement continuing collaboration, joint projects, testing and commercialization of technologies, and will create new opportunities as well. Mitacs’ Indigenous Pathways initiative will establish links with indigenous communities, institutions, and the First Nations University of Canada. A separate agreement with the First Nations University of Canada was signed Monday afternoon.
