SRC Celebrates 75 Years of Technology and Innovation

Released on May 30, 2022

This year, the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) is reaching a major milestone - 75 years of providing valuable research, development and demonstration to Saskatchewan industry and beyond. SRC is focused on providing services that support the province's key economic sectors, such as mining, minerals, energy, oil and gas, agriculture and biotechnology, as well as meeting the environmental needs of industry.

"SRC has been helping Saskatchewan industry to solve its challenging problems for seven decades now and has already been key in a number of initiatives that the province aims to achieve in its 2030 Growth Plan," Minister Responsible for SRC Jeremy Harrison said. "SRC is a leader in advancing new technologies and industrial applications, that bring economic benefit to the province."

Throughout its history, SRC has been a part of many important firsts for the province. In the 1970's, SRC was a leader in energy efficient housing research and its work formed the basis for the development of the R-2000 standard for energy efficient homes. In the 1980s, SRC played a large role assisting the Saskatchewan energy industry by enabling the implementation of horizontal wells in and the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) for enhanced oil recovery. SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories' ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited secure diamond laboratory was established in the early 2000s and is now the largest such facility in the world. SRC's Rare Earth Processing Facility, supported with $31 million in funding from the Government of Saskatchewan, will be the first-of-its-kind in North America as it comes online early in 2023. Today, SRC's environmental remediation work in northern Saskatchewan also leads industry with its community engagement, project management and environmental practices, some of which have translated to other government programs like the Ministry of Energy and Resources' Accelerated Site Closure Program (ASCP).

These are just a few examples of how SRC has pioneered initiatives that benefit Saskatchewan over the past 75 years. Going forward, SRC is strongly committed to continuing to create positive impacts for the province while it supports government and industry in new and emerging strategic areas including the energy transition and critical minerals.

"SRC has always been at the leading edge of technology and innovation and that has contributed to our longevity and success," SRC President and CEO Mike Crabtree said. "SRC is always looking ahead, and it is our ability to evolve quickly to the province's changing industrial and economic needs that is a key strength and will continue to be important in the coming years."

SRC is Canada's second largest research and technology organization. With nearly 300 employees, $137 million in annual revenue and 75 years of experience, SRC provides services and products to its 1,500 clients in 27 countries around the world.

For more information on SRC's history, view our blog at https://src.nu/75atsrc.

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