the mining industry is a vital part of canada's economy in 2020 the direct contribution of the production of minerals and metals in canada's gdp was 70 billion dollars mining is not only important to canada's economy it also makes a direct impact on the way we live minerals and metals contribute to our everyday lives in the forms of buildings vehicles computers phones and even sustainable technology like wind turbines and solar panels this industry provides thousands of job opportunities for canadians in 2020 there were over 692 000 canadians employed in the mining industry currently the mining sector
is undergoing a transformation through the introduction of new technologies that are making canadian mines increasingly efficient competitive environmentally friendly and safe this reshaping of the sector is driven by the introduction of innovative smart mining solutions that leverage the enhanced connectivity of network technology today's powerful networks allow for the deployment of mining applications and products that make use of the latest developments in artificial intelligence automation and the internet of things mines are introducing tech like autonomous loading and drilling equipment operations tracking sensors wearable smart safety equipment geographic information systems and real-time collaborative cloud platforms these solutions
all help to optimize minds through automating data collection and smart mining technology improves the speed of operations effectiveness and reliability of mining equipment worker safety and prevents negative environmental impacts let's take a look at automation as an example tasks that would usually be done within dangerous environments can now be done remotely or autonomously by using equipment controlled safely from the surface mines can significantly protect personnel from physical and respiratory injuries caused either by heavy lifting or unstable environments while automation is only one aspect of how mines are being transformed much more is on the way
as smart mining operations are projected to triple by 2025 many of canada's smart mining solutions are built through the innovation of our tech startup and scale-up community these growing small businesses have the passion and vision to drive new products and solutions to the mining sector the problem many innovative small businesses lack the testing equipment and a suitable environment to validate their products on a commercial scale without validation in real mining environments bringing smart mining solutions to market can be a challenge senjen provides the commercial grade infrastructure and expertise to help small businesses validate their digital
products understanding the specific needs of smart mining solutions senjen created the smart mining living lab the senjen smart mining living lab is a unique combination of cloud technology and a real connected mining environment where canadian companies can physically install and test their smart mining solutions and products for market readiness by validating their products in a real mining environment canada's top innovators can ensure they bring their mining solutions to market with confidence this in turn benefits our mining sector by transforming the industry with high quality canadian tech solutions together with canada's most innovative businesses senjin is
working to drive technological innovation and reshape the industry sectors across the country
