Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for the invitation to appear today.
I am Dr. Mike Commito. I am here on behalf of Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario, where I serve as director of research and innovation.
Cambrian is a college with deep roots in northern Ontario's industrial economy. Our work is closely tied to mining, critical minerals, applied research, workforce development and the practical challenges that come with operating in remote, harsh and technically demanding environments. That foundation shapes how we see this study.
Cambrian is already active in areas that matter to Canada's dual-use and defence-related innovation agenda. We are not starting from scratch. We are already working with industry, training the workforce and supporting the applied research and testing that help move technology from an idea into something that can actually be used.
One example is our centre for smart mining, where we support industry-relevant research and technology development in real operating conditions. That includes underground environments that are highly useful for testing technologies in GPS-denied, low-visibility and communication-constrained settings. Those are conditions that matter for mining, but they also have clear relevance for autonomous systems, remote operations and other dual-use technologies.
We also have strengths in electrification and battery-related testing through our Vale electric vehicle lab. That work supports performance validation and helps industry better understand how vehicles and systems will perform in demanding environments. As Canada looks at next-generation platforms, electrification and resilient supply chains, that kind of applied capacity becomes increasingly important.
Cambrian's success in this space comes from the role colleges play in the research landscape. We work at the applied end. We help companies solve operational problems, test technologies, train talent and adopt new tools and systems. We are often working with small and medium-sized firms that need a practical partner, access to facilities and a team that can move quickly.
That role is important, because Canada does not struggle only with generating ideas: We often struggle with adoption. We have world-class researchers, capable firms and strong institutions, but many promising technologies still face a difficult path between early development and real-world use. Canadian colleges help close that gap. We do that in a few ways.
First, we train the people who make innovation usable. Technicians, technologists, operators and other skilled workers are essential to any serious industrial or defence capability. In sectors such as critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, electrification and remote operations, that workforce is central.
Second, we give companies a place to test and validate technology in real conditions. That matters, because end-users need confidence. A technology that works in theory still has to prove itself in the field.
Third, we help connect regional strengths to national priorities. In Cambrian's case, that means bringing northern Ontario expertise into conversations about critical minerals, supply chain resilience, autonomous systems and domestic industrial capacity. This matters for Canada's broader research and innovation system.
Colleges are sometimes left out of the discussion when people talk about science and research, but they are a key part of how research becomes usable. Universities, companies, government labs and colleges play different roles. Canadian colleges contribute through applied research, industry collaboration, technology validation and workforce development. That is especially valuable in dual-use sectors where technologies need to work in real environments and be supported by a skilled labour force.
Cambrian's opportunity is clear. We have existing infrastructure. We have industry relationships. We have the relevant expertise. We operate in an environment that reflects many of the conditions Canada needs to be able to work in, especially in the north and in resource-based sectors. There is real value in making fuller use of that capacity.
From our perspective, the question is not whether colleges belong in this conversation; they clearly do. The question is how Canada can make better use of institutions that are already helping to train people, support firms and validate technology in practical settings.
Thank you very much. I look forward to your questions.