Technology

Government of Canada welcomes Rio Tinto project that will reduce GHG emissions and expand manufacturing of low-carbon aluminum

Published

2 years ago

June 28, 2024

Rio Tinto continues to position itself as a key player in the global low-carbon economy

JONQUIÈRE, QC, June 28, 2024 /CNW/ – Decarbonizing the production of critical minerals and metals is essential to achieving Canada’s climate goals. Canada is the fourth-largest producer of primary aluminum in the world. As a long-standing supplier of strategic metals to the United States and across the North American industrial supply base, Canada must ensure that it can continue to provide aluminum products to critical sectors such as automotive and transportation, energy, and infrastructure. By supporting clean technologies and advanced manufacturing, the government will continue creating good middle-class jobs, strengthening our economy and building a greener future for all Canadians.

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, welcomed Rio Tinto’s plan to expand production capacity for low-carbon aluminum in Canada. This project is another key step in the implementation of the groundbreaking ELYSIS™ smelting technology across Rio Tinto operations in the province of Quebec.

Once fully developed and implemented, the ELYSIS™ technology would eliminate almost all emissions associated with the Canadian aluminum industry’s smelting carbon footprint. The world-leading net-zero aluminum smelting technology will reinvent the chemistry of aluminum production by removing carbon from the chemical process and producing only oxygen as an output.

Today’s announcement represents another significant step forward as the Government of Canada continues to position Canada for success with a cleaner, stronger and better-prepared economy—one that is competitive in a low-carbon world.

Quotes

“Canada has all it takes to be the global green supplier of choice, which is why our government is collaborating with key industry actors like Rio Tinto to produce low- carbon aluminium. Groundbreaking projects such as the ELYSIS™ smelting technology will ensure Canada remains at the forefront of the economy of tomorrow while also staying focused on its carbon reduction goals. When economic benefits are paired with a commitment to developing green solutions, it’s a win for Canadian industry, our cleantech ecosystem and our workers.”
– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“At the heart of our government’s economic plan is building an economy where Canadian workers benefit. That is why we’re seizing the opportunities to decarbonize Canada’s critical minerals and mining sector, create good-paying jobs—especially union jobs—and ensure Canadian workers and industry remain at the forefront of the global economy.”
– The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

“ELYSIS™ is truly a disruptive technology for the industry, and it’s thanks to Quebec’s expertise that we are the first in the world to produce aluminum that is free of greenhouse gases. It’s a technological innovation with unprecedented benefits for our aluminum industry, which remains an undisputed world leader.”
– Pierre Fitzgibbon, Quebec Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal Region

“This investment will further strengthen Rio Tinto’s industry-leading position in low-carbon, responsible aluminum production in North America with our hydro-powered smelters and our recycling capacity. Becoming the first to deploy the ELYSIS™ carbon-free smelting technology is the next step in our strategy to decarbonize and grow our Canadian aluminum operations. In addition to helping us deliver even lower–carbon primary aluminum for our customers, this investment will allow Rio Tinto to build its expertise in installing and operating this new technology, while the ELYSIS joint venture continues its research and development work to scale it up to its full potential.”
– Jérôme Pécresse, Chief Executive, Rio Tinto Aluminium

Quick facts

With more than 10,000 employees working at over 35 sites across Canada, Rio Tinto is one of the most important metals and minerals producers operating in Canada today.Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) is the Canadian subsidiary of the multinational Australian mining company, the world’s second-largest aluminum producer outside of China. It has a significant presence in Canada, sources 42% of its inputs from Canadian suppliers, and exports products to approximately 16 countries. Quebec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region is central to RTA’s aluminum business and is responsible for approximately half of its global aluminum production. RTA is also an important hydroelectricity producer.The United States was Canada’s largest export destination for aluminum products in 2022, accounting for 92% of the total value of aluminum exports, followed by Mexico (3%), and Hong Kong (1%).Through the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan and the Critical Minerals Strategy, Canada is on track to achieve its goal of cutting emissions by 40 to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030.To strengthen its alignment with the Paris Agreement, RTA announced self-imposed greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets of 15% in 2025, 50% in 2030 and net zero by 2050.The Government of Canada has provided funding to ELYSIS Limited Partnership, a joint-venture technology partnership between Rio Tinto and Alcoa, to produce the world’s first true net-zero aluminum smelting technology.In October 2022, the government announced up to $222 million in funding through the Strategic Innovation Fund to help Rio Tinto Fer et Titane, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, decarbonize and increase its production of critical minerals, including lithium, titanium and scandium.

Associated links

Rio Tinto Canada Budget 2022 backgrounder: Clean Air and a Strong Economy 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan

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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Technology

Statement – Leaders’ call on the fight against cancer

Published

46 minutes ago

June 16, 2026

ÉVIAN, France , June 16, 2026 /CNW/ – “We, the Leaders of the G7, reaffirm our commitment to accelerate the fight against cancer. Partner countries of the G7, Brazil, Egypt, India, Kenya, and the Republic of Korea, also support this call on the fight against cancer.

Cancer kills nearly 10 million people each year worldwide and new cases are projected to increase by 80 per cent globally by 2050, given the aging of the population and its interactions with environmental and behavioural risk factors, placing an ever-greater burden on societies, health systems and economies. Improvements in access to cancer prevention – including through screening, diagnosis and care – can and should be made. While major scientific advances have been achieved in several critical areas, progress should be accelerated by alignment of research efforts and faster translation of innovation into care. In this regard, we welcome that such advances have brought the elimination of cervical cancer within reach and we will accelerate our efforts to that end.

We are determined to deepen international scientific cooperation, close persistent gaps in prevention and early detection, and ensure that progress in oncology reaches every patient. While acknowledging our existing financing efforts and the shared global responsibility, where we have taken a leadership role, we commit to strengthening our endeavours to advance cancer research and development.

We commend the scientific advances made through international, regional and national initiatives. We have made concrete progress on aligning our cancer research programmes, strengthening collaboration between leading cancer institutes and advancing interoperable data standards for paediatric and adolescent cancers.

Accelerating international data access for paediatric, adolescent and young adult cancers

We recognise that no single country possesses sufficient data to generate robust evidence across the full range of paediatric, adolescent and young adult tumour types. Building on existing international, regional and national initiatives – in accordance with our legislation, priorities, capacities and resources, and in compliance with applicable rules on privacy, data protection and intellectual property rights – we intend to work towards:

Promoting collaboration between existing data resources and programmes, where appropriate, to bridge national registries, advance interoperability standards and enable responsible cross-border data collaboration, in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory frameworks while respecting national competences.Supporting large-scale, multi-dimensional data integration, including clinical, genomic and imaging data, which enables safe and secure data use without the necessity for direct data transfer, drawing on artificial intelligence, where appropriate and according to legal regulatory frameworks.Building on existing international, regional and national initiatives to avoid duplication, close gaps and strengthen international research collaboration for paediatric, adolescent and young adult cancers.

Intensifying our fight against cancers with poor prognosis

We recognise that mortality from cancers with poor prognosis is one of the foremost global scientific challenges. Building on existing international, regional and national initiatives, we intend to work towards:

Supporting research on cancers with poor prognosis and the work towards establishing a shared international definition and research agenda for cancers with poor prognosis, recognising them as a major global challenge.Setting ambitious targets for the roll out of screening programmes and for the diagnosis of more cancers at stage 1, as appropriate within national health systems and country contexts, to improve survival rates for cancers with poor prognosis, and in particular to significantly reduce lung cancer mortality in the next ten years.Fostering innovative international research programmes, improving cooperation on clinical trials and accelerating the translation of scientific advances – including through digital technologies, artificial intelligence and quantum research – into clinical practice for patients.

Strengthening access to quality cancer care for all

We recognize that access to quality cancer care for all remains a pressing challenge. We intend to work towards:

Supporting country-led efforts to strengthen resilient and self-reliant health systems capable of delivering high-quality cancer care for all.Encouraging the development of comprehensive cancer centres, as anchors of research excellence, care quality and education internationally.Promoting the secure, responsible and trustworthy use of evidence-based digital technologies, artificial intelligence and quantum research to improve early detection, support clinical decision-making, strengthen palliative care and expand the reach of evidence-based care for all, while preserving patients’ privacy.

We will remain engaged and review progress on these commitments.

This call for action reflects the outcome of the discussion between G7 members, benefiting from productive exchanges of views with partner countries.”

This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister’s Office

Technology

Insight Global Expands Global Operations with New Team in Bogotá, Colombia

Published

46 minutes ago

June 16, 2026

Expansion strengthens operational capabilities and supports the company’s continued global growth

ATLANTA, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Insight Global today announced the expansion of its global operations with the addition of a capability center in Bogotá, Colombia, the latest in a series of global expansion efforts to support clients and consultants.

The Bogotá center, which officially launched on June 1, supports a wide range of functions for the global enterprise, including corporate, client, and consultant delivery functions. With over 1,500 active workers on projects in Latin America, the Bogotá teams will serve as an integral function to ensure the same excellence in employee, client, and consultant experience that Insight Global is known for around the world.

“This location is such a strategic play for us at Insight Global. It will serve as an extension of our middle and back-office functions as well as being our hub for Latin American Operations,” said Chris Abbeduto, Vice President – Global Operations. “The rapid growth that we continue to see for nearshore capabilities really drives the need for a regional center of excellence in LATAM, and we couldn’t be more excited with the amazing talent pool and cultural fit that we see in Colombia.”

The initiative has been more than a year in the making and represents a strategic investment in Insight Global’s future. The Bogotá team is comprised of fully bilingual Insight Global employees fluent in both Spanish and English who are fully integrated into the company’s culture, systems, and training programs from day one. Bogotá was selected in part for its strong talent market and alignment with U.S. business hours, enabling seamless collaboration across teams.

Insight Global’s Staffing, Consulting, and AI services are fulfilled by nearly 40,000 employees in over 40 countries for over 3,200 companies around the world.

To learn more about Insight Global’s international capabilities, visit here.

About Insight Global

Insight Global is an international talent and consulting company that delivers business outcomes in an ever-changing world. We obsess over solving problems and building solutions that move our customers further, faster.

With access to top talent in more than 50 countries, our tech-enabled recruiters can build teams quickly. Our technical experts across Cloud, AI, Data, Enterprise Operations, and Applied Engineering deliver solutions tailored to each customer’s needs. As those needs evolve, so do we.

As we evolve, though, we stay true to our purpose: to develop our people personally, professionally, and financially so they can be the light to the world around them. It shows up in everything we do, from investing in our people to delivering results for our customers to making a meaningful impact in our communities.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insight-global-expands-global-operations-with-new-team-in-bogota-colombia-302802187.html

SOURCE Insight Global

Technology

Opsera Launches BrickForge by Opsera, a Purpose-Built AI Operational Command Center for Enterprise Data Teams, on Databricks Marketplace

Published

46 minutes ago

June 16, 2026

Built on the Databricks platform, BrickForge delivers a unified operational command center for Databricks environments

SAN FRANCISCO, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Databricks Data + AI Summit – Opsera, the leader in AI-powered software delivery, today announced the availability of BrickForge on Databricks Marketplace, an open marketplace for data, analytics, and AI, powered by OpenSharing. A purpose-built AI Application, BrickForge gives enterprise data teams what they have been missing: a native command center to observe, diagnose, fix, and govern their entire Databricks estate — without adding infrastructure or touching business data.

Opsera will showcase BrickForge at the Databricks Data + AI Summit, Booth #223. To learn more, visit opsera.ai/brickforge.

The trigger is real. A recent Databricks State of AI Agents report stated that 80% of databases on its platform are now created by agents, not humans. As organizations produce more data products and pipelines alongside this agentic growth, operational complexity grows with it — compliance posture drifts, SQL workloads accumulate security exposure, recovery plans go untested, and deployments introduce configuration risk.

BrickForge addresses that through the BrickForge Operational Loop — a four-stage continuous process for governing Databricks estates at the pace of AI:

Observe: Live Databricks health monitoring across every cluster, job, Delta Live Tables (DLT) pipeline, warehouse, and AI endpoints. When something drifts or degrades, teams see it before it becomes an incident. No log-diving. No waiting for users to report errors.

Diagnose: AI-assisted root-cause analysis that surfaces the exact issue — configuration drift, a YAML delta, a SQL vulnerability, a compliance control slipping — with prioritized remediation options before engineers are paged.

Fix: Human-authorized remediation in minutes, not hours. Declarative Automation Bundles (DABs) generation, 3-stage YAML validation, multi-environment promotion and migration — every action is version-controlled, auditable, and executed with explicit confirmation.

Govern: Continuous posture monitoring against SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and ISO 27001. Per-control verdicts, evidence citations, audit-ready reporting, AI-generated Disaster Recovery plans, workspace replication, and executable RTO/RPO drills — so compliance and resilience are always current, not a fire drill.

“The way enterprises operate their data estate hasn’t kept pace with how fast AI agents are generating pipelines and products,” said Kumar Chivukula, co-founder and CEO of Opsera. “Bringing BrickForge to the Databricks Marketplace gives data teams an operational command center to observe, diagnose, remediate, and govern — with compliance, policy, operational health and disaster recovery built in.”

BrickForge runs natively inside a customer’s existing Databricks tenant under a Zero Business Data Contact principle — evaluating metadata and infrastructure patterns, not row-level data. No new infrastructure. No data egress Data Processing Agreement (DPA). No new vendor trust boundary. What typically takes weeks of security reviews and months of architecture approvals is compressed to days.

“Customers consistently ask us for easier, more secure ways to discover, access, and share data and AI assets across their organizations and ecosystems,” said Stephen Orban, SVP, Product Ecosystem & Partnerships at Databricks. “By bringing BrickForge to the Databricks Marketplace, Opsera and Databricks are helping our joint customers accelerate innovation and unlock more value from their data on an open, governed platform.”

BrickForge extends the company’s AI-SDLC platform — which includes the Forge AI software factory — to enterprise data teams, adding operational governance and intelligence to the full software and data delivery lifecycles.

About Opsera
Opsera helps enterprises operationalize AI-driven software delivery through its AI-SDLC platform, combining intelligent orchestration, operational intelligence, and an open ecosystem of AI tools and partners. By understanding the intent and context of development workflows, Opsera empowers teams to embrace spec-driven development and leverage agentic workflows to automate complex pipelines safely. By helping customers navigate their AI journey at their own pace, Opsera enables organizations to govern, measure, and scale AI-generated software with confidence.

Media Contact:
Terri Douglas
Catapult PR-IR
tdouglas@catapultpr-ir.com

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SOURCE Opsera