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Canada to Boost Supply of Critical Minerals and Strengthen Value Chains With Investment in the Saskatchewan Research Council

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LONDON, Feb. 15, 2024 /CNW/ – Canada is well positioned to be a leader in the responsible, inclusive and sustainable production of critical minerals. These minerals play a key role in powering the green and digital economy, and demand for them is projected to increase significantly. That is why Canada is seizing this opportunity by making smart investments in critical minerals value chains to support the development and deployment of clean energy and technology.

Today, during the Canada-UK Industrial Decarbonization Forum, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, joined by Mike Crabtree, President and CEO of the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC), announced an investment of $4,990,000 to SRC through the Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration (CMRDD) program.

With this funding, SRC will develop an advanced and innovative process to separate rare earth elements (REE). These are alloys that are essential for clean energy sources and technologies such as wind turbines and electric vehicles. This will help increase the supply of battery metals that are needed for the development of a domestic electric vehicle value chain. This process will produce enough material to help build over half a million electric vehicle motors annually. Further, once the project is complete, Canada will be able to produce these critical minerals at commercial scale — a Canadian first for rare earth element processing.

Instead of shipping Canada’s concentrates overseas for foreign separation, this project will support Canada’s direct participation in the growing market for rare earth elements.

Canada is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building a cleaner and more prosperous economy. Increasing availability of electric vehicles for Canadians will help Canada reach this goal. Creating domestic processing streams and developing expertise in the critical minerals sector will build more competitive value chains to develop domestic processing and manufacturing and ensure investment and economic growth in communities across Canada.

Quotes

“Critical minerals like the rare earth elements that will be produced through SRC’s innovative new separation process are integral parts of the electric vehicle value chain. Demand for these resources is going to grow exponentially as we build up a low-carbon economy. That is why we are taking action to build resilient and secure supply chains that provide the materials we, and nations around the world, need, right here in Canada. Investments like this one are advancing our ambitious goals while also creating good jobs and building a prosperous and sustainable low-carbon economy.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“This funding allows SRC to complete an important step in the rare earth supply chain, adding the ability to demonstrate separation for dysprosium and terbium oxides at our Rare Earth Processing Facility. Separating these rare earth oxides is instrumental in the manufacturing of high-grade permanent magnets, which are used in global modern technology.”

Mike Crabtree
President and CEO, Saskatchewan Research Council

Quick Facts

The Canada-UK Industrial Decarbonization Forum is a half-day event that brought together leaders from Canada and the UK to discuss how governments and industry can work together to decarbonize the industrial sector. The decarbonization of industry will be achieved through a combination of different technologies and measures. The two technologies that have been identified as key contributors to these decarbonization efforts are hydrogen and carbon management (including capture, utilization and storage).The Critical Minerals Research Development and Demonstration (CMRDD) program supports the development of Canadian critical minerals value chains.The CMRDD aims to advance the commercial readiness of emerging mineral processing unit operations or technologies that will support the development of zero-emission vehicle value chains in Canada by providing raw material inputs for use in batteries and permanent magnets.Through this project, SRC will have the ability to produce around 20 tonnes per year of dysprosium (Dy) oxide and around 5 tonnes per year of terbium (Tb) oxide, which is enough to manufacture permanent magnets to build electric motors for nearly half a million electric vehicles.The funding will be utilized to add Dy and Tb separation capability to SRC’s existing Rare Earth Processing Facility and will utilize the building, utilities and the equipment which recycles 100 percent of the processed water and chemicals, thus making it a net-zero liquid discharge process. The feed to the Dy and Tb processing will be derived from SRC’s existing facility.The project will support increasing capacity in the critical minerals and battery value chain for electric vehicles by advancing technology and innovation in the mining sector and will benefit international markets, likeminded allies and partners. It will also support Canada’s growth in the REE space by building the knowledge and capacity of Canada’s workforce and by establishing a fully integrated supply chain that promotes Canadian mining, engineering, construction and equipment manufacturing industries.The successful completion of this project will make Canada one of the few jurisdictions that have the technology to produce around 25 tonnes per year of dysprosium oxide and around five tonnes per year of terbium oxide. Due to their importance in various modern technologies, dysprosium and terbium are considered critical elements, and their supply chain can be subject to geopolitical considerations and market fluctuations.Dysprosium is primarily used in the production of magnets, lighting, nuclear reactors and data storage. Terbium is primarily used in the production of phosphors for fluorescent lamps and LEDs, magnets, nuclear reactors, optical devices like lasers and optical fibres, are data storage.

Related Information

Canadian Critical Minerals StrategyCanada’s strengthened climate plan, 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong EconomyCritical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration ProgramGovernment of Canada Launches Second Call for Proposals for Critical Minerals Research Development and Demonstration ProgramSaskatchewan Research Council

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Compunnel Unveils State-of-the-Art Noida Office: A Strategic Milestone in AI-Led Transformation and Innovation Ecosystem

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New flagship facility positions India center as AI innovation powerhouse; signals strategic shift to agentic AI across all business operations

NOIDA, India, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Compunnel today unveiled its new state-of-the-art office in Noida Sector 142, covering over 1,35,000 sq ft of built-up area, marking a transformative milestone in the company’s strategic repositioning as an AI-led transformation company. More than a facility expansion, this launch represents Compunnel’s evolution from a trusted consulting and technology services provider into a comprehensive AI-native enterprise partner – leveraging agentic AI approaches across intelligent workforce solutions, digital transformation, and cybersecurity services for global enterprises.

The cutting-edge workspace featuring an on-site gym, modern cafeteria, advanced digital infrastructure, air quality control systems, and innovative design – is engineered to attract and nurture world-class talent while serving as an AI innovation hub. The facility will also house InfoPro Learning, a leader in corporate learning solutions, strengthening the collaborative ecosystem for talent development and enterprise training excellence.

A STRATEGIC INFLECTION POINT FOR GROWTH AND DIVERSIFICATION

Compunnel’s strategic shift towards AI-led operations is fundamentally reshaping how the company serves enterprises and positions itself for exponential growth:

Intelligent Workforce Solutions Reimagined: Compunnel’s strategic investment in Eximius – an agentic AI hiring platform – exemplifies the company’s shift towards autonomous intelligence in talent acquisition. By leveraging AI agents that autonomously match talent, predict hiring needs, and accelerate placements, Compunnel is positioned to significantly advance its #48 ranking among the Top 50 Staffing Firms in the USA. Complementing this, OneGuru – Infopro Learning’s agentic platform for the complete ‘hire to retire’ employment lifecycle, establishes the company as a formidable contender in the HCMS/HRIS market, delivering AI-driven workforce management from onboarding to succession planning.

Security, Risk, and Transformation Solutions: In an era where AI-powered threats evolve faster than traditional defenses, Compunnel is embedding living intelligence into enterprise security frameworks. The company’s modern approach helps organizations transform into a more mature, resilient, and risk-reduced state by leveraging advanced workflows to predict risks, proactively dismantle threats, and turn security from a cost center into a competitive advantage. This is complemented by strong capabilities across privacy and compliance-driven risk management, enabling organizations to protect sensitive data, meet regulatory requirements, and strengthen enterprise-wide governance and risk posture.

Digital Transformation Architected for AI-First Operations: Compunnel Digital is an AI-native digital engineering group built for the enterprises redefining what’s possible in Financial Services, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Consumer, Retail, and Manufacturing. It doesn’t layer AI onto legacy workflows – it architects intelligent systems from the ground up. Powered by Compunnel AI-OS, the company’s AI-first platform, Compunnel designs digital ecosystems where autonomous agents accelerate delivery, data fabrics power real-time decisions, and machine intelligence works alongside human expertise – turning disruption into competitive advantage.

LEADERSHIP VISION: TECHNOLOGY, TALENT, TRAINING, AND TRANSFORMATION

“Technology – and specifically agentic AI – is the backbone of everything we do at Compunnel. This new center amplifies that engine, bringing together AI innovation, advanced analytics, and our growing portfolio of AI-driven companies under one roof,” said Andy Gaur, CEO of Compunnel. “From Eximius transforming how we staff enterprises, to OneGuru revolutionizing HCMS, to incubating the next generation of AI startups – this workplace represents our commitment to leading, not following, the AI transformation. As we serve enterprise clients globally, this is where breakthrough thinking meets breakthrough execution.”

“For technology and business professionals, the new facility represents more than a workplace. It’s a launchpad for career acceleration. The Noida office will serve as a center for talent development, offering opportunities to work on global projects spanning talent solutions, cloud modernization, data and AI, cybersecurity, and digital engineering for Fortune enterprises across sectors such as banking, healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, government, and more,” said Rakesh Shah, President of Compunnel.

ABOUT COMPUNNEL

Founded in 1994, Compunnel delivers AI-driven workforce solutions, digital transformation, and cybersecurity services to global enterprises. With 30+ delivery centers across the U.S. and global R&D hubs in Canada, Europe, and India, Compunnel serves 23% of Fortune enterprises. Ranked #48 on SIA’s Largest Staffing Firms in the United States and recognized 12 times on the Inc. 5000 list, Compunnel combines deep domain expertise with intelligent automation to accelerate enterprise velocity and build future-ready operations. Learn more at www.compunnel.com.

ABOUT INFOPRO LEARNING

An offshoot of Compunnel, Infopro Learning is a global learning solutions partner that helps organizations transform their workforce development from strategy to scale. For 30 years, they have partnered with the world’s largest and most reputable companies, delivering Managed Learning Services, Leadership Development, Strategic Advisory, and Content Development solutions. Leveraging AI-driven innovation, they help organizations deliver greater impact while optimizing costs. Learn more at www.infoprolearning.com.

ABOUT ONEGURU

OneGuru is an AI-powered talent development platform that improves employee performance by taking learning out of the classroom and into the flow of work. Every employee will get access to a dedicated AI-Agent, equipped with insight from the world’s greatest coaches and the data that drives your business and people forward (HRIS, Performance, LMS). Unlike most agents, OneGuru is designed to be proactive, nudging your team to build their skills, build their careers, and build your business. Learn more at https://oneguru.ai/.

Media Contact:
Email: pr@compunnel.com

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2971872/Compunnel_Noida.jpg

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SUPCON Showcases the Path to Autonomous Operations with Software-defined Controls, Large Industrial AI models and Agentic AI Platforms at Hannover Messe 2026

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HANNOVER, Germany, May 5, 2026 /CNW/ — At Hannover Messe 2026, SUPCON (688777.SH, SUPCON.SW), a global leader in industrial automation and AI, demonstrated how the process industry can move beyond simple data analysis to real-time and autonomous execution. By unveiling its latest advancements in Agentic AI and software-defined automation, SUPCON provided a tangible roadmap for the transition to fully autonomous operating plants.

A central theme of the showcase was bridging the industry’s “execution gap”. While many plants generate vast amounts of data, the challenge remains in acting on that data in a timely, reliable manner. SUPCON’s integrated solution featuring the Universal Control System (UCS), Time-series Pre-trained Transformer (TPT2), and UNS-based IIOT Data Platform (Tier0), enables industrial plants to not only analyze information but to execute closed-loop optimization in real time.

“Industrial AI has reached a critical turning point. It is no longer just about generating insights, but about embedding them within closed-loop controls to achieve peak performance,” said Kenneth Lim, Director of Strategy and Marketing at SUPCON International Business. “Our role is to provide the industry with an open, reliable foundation that allows our customers to scale at their own pace, ensuring that today’s investments remain future-proof for decades of innovation ahead.”

Technical Keynote Highlights: The Path to Autonomous Operating Plants

Through a series of technical keynote sessions, SUPCON reframed autonomy not as a single hardware upgrade, but as a strategic operating model designed to empower the modern workforce.

Real-time Field Intelligence (Smart Field Instrumentation & Ethernet-APL): Moving beyond legacy protocols like HART, SUPCON showcased how Ethernet-APL brings high-speed connectivity directly to the field, turning passive instruments into active sources of real-time intelligence.Building the Unified Namespace (Tier0): To eliminate the “integration tax,” SUPCON introduced Tier0, a UNS-based platform using MQTT pub/sub and semantic structures to create a shared, event-driven data layer that prevents vendor lock-in and unifies fragmented systems.Agentic Application Development (AppBuilder): The Tier0 AppBuilder demonstrated how factory teams can build industrial applications up to 10x faster using natural language and domain-aware agents, moving from costly customization to rapid, user-centric creation.The Autonomous Workforce (Robotics & AI): By utilizing autonomous robots as “mobile sensors” for hazardous tasks like leak detection, SUPCON proved that technology isn’t about replacing humans, but about liberating engineers for high-value creative problem-solving and strategic oversight.Software-Defined Controls: The Universal Control System (UCS) represents a new era of efficiency. By revolutionizing traditional controls architecture, it reduces physical footprints and cabling by up to 90%, directly helping partners meet carbon neutrality goals without sacrificing productivity.Time-Series Pre-Trained Transformers (TPT): Unlike standard Large Language Models, the TPT is purpose-built for industrial time-series data. It consolidates fragmented use cases like equipment health forecasting and bottleneck analysis into a single AI layer for faster scaling.Autonomous Operating Plants (AOP): SUPCON framed “Zero-Touch Operations” not as a single hardware upgrade, but as a total strategic transformation. Addressing the “hidden” barriers of fragmented data and multi-OEM complexity, Autonomous Operating Plants (AOP) are achievable when open architectures and next-generation control systems are designed as a unified foundation from the outset.Self-Optimizing Plants via Closed-Loop AIO: SUPCON introduced Artificial Intelligence Optimization (AIO) as a revolutionary step beyond traditional DCS and APC systems. By enabling AI to learn from real-time plant data and feed optimized decisions back into control systems autonomously. This closed-loop approach serves as a practical pathway for manufacturers to optimize throughput, energy, and safety simultaneously without manual intervention.

A Partner in Industrial Evolution

By connecting smart field instrumentation, open data platforms, and software-defined control, SUPCON is providing the industry with a practical blueprint for safer, more resilient, and self-optimizing plants. The vision presented at Hannover Messe 2026 establishes that autonomous operations are achievable today when open architectures and next-generation intelligence are designed as a unified foundation.

Resources & Media

Resource Hub & Presentations: global.supcon.com/events/hannover-messe-2026Highlights Video: View on YouTubeNext Event: Join us at Gastech 2026 | 14–17 September 2026 | Bangkok, Thailand

About SUPCON

SUPCON (688777.SH, SUPCON.SW) is a global provider of industrial automation and industrial AI, offering control systems, digital platforms, robotics, and software solutions that power the world’s process and energy industries. Headquartered in Hangzhou, China, with the SUPCON Internal Business Headquarters in Singapore and the regional hubs around the globe, SUPCON is well-positioned to elevate industrial intelligence and drive customer success. Trusted by more than 250 leading enterprises and 39,000+ customers worldwide across major process industries such as oil & gas, chemical and petrochemical, as well as other industries such as power, pulp and paper, building materials, and more, SUPCON is driving the evolution from automation to autonomy–enabling safer, smarter, and more sustainable industrial operations.

For more information, please visit https://global.supcon.com/

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SOURCE SUPCON International Business Pte Ltd

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PwC and OpenAI Build a First-of-Its-Kind OpenAI Native Finance Function

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The collaboration aims to help redefine the future of finance by combining agentic AI with human supervision, enabling finance teams to govern, improve, and scale AI agents over time.

NEW YORK, May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PwC today announced an expanded collaboration with OpenAI to help create the first of its kind AI native finance function at enterprise scale, combining agentic AI with human supervision to reshape how finance work gets done.

Together, PwC and OpenAI are building AI agents around the core operating rhythms of finance, from planning, forecasting, and reporting to procurement, payments, treasury, tax, and the accounting close. What sets this collaboration apart is its focus on building in the real world, not just designing in theory. For example, PwC and OpenAI are building a procurement agent inside the OpenAI finance organization, and are applying those learnings to additional agents across core finance workflows. That hands-on model is intended to speed innovation, prove the value of an AI native finance function in practice at OpenAI, and continuously improve the offering based on learnings.

Powered by OpenAI native finance capabilities and PwC’s deep expertise in finance, risk, and transformation, the collaboration is intended to move finance beyond task automation toward an operating model where AI agents can execute complex work, collaborate across workflows, and support faster, more insight-driven decisions.

“Finance is at an inflection point, where organizations are moving from process efficiency to intelligent, decision-centric operations,” said Tyson Cornell, US Advisory Leader. “Through our collaboration with OpenAI, we’re helping clients embed agentic AI into the core fabric of the finance function, enabling more proactive insights, stronger controls, and a more adaptive operating model.”

In this new operating model, the role of finance professionals evolves from primarily executing processes to supervising, governing, and improving AI agents over time. Finance teams remain accountable for judgment, controls, and outcomes, while helping define the guardrails, policies, and organizational memory that allow agents to perform more effectively and responsibly. Through MCPs and reusable skills, agents can connect to enterprise systems with the right controls, produce more reliable outputs, and follow consistent operating patterns across finance processes.

At the same time, domain experts can use Codex and OpenAI emerging product surfaces to build bespoke applications for targeted finance workflows — accelerating solutions for accruals, close activities, reconciliations, reporting, and other operational needs without relying solely on traditional software development cycles. This is the foundation of a new kind of finance function: AI native by design, human-governed actions, continuously improving over time.

“Finance has always been about judgment, trust, and making decisions in environments filled with complexity and constant change. AI gives finance leaders a much deeper ability to see around corners and act faster,” said Sarah Friar, CFO at OpenAI. “I believe we’re now entering a moment where the finance function itself gets reimagined to shape decisions in real time. The opportunity here is far bigger than efficiency, it’s about giving finance leaders the tools to operate with greater foresight, agility, and strategic impact across the business.”

This collaboration reflects a broader shift toward an OpenAI native finance operating model, where work begins with intent and is executed by AI agents acting across systems, workflows, and data environments. Through hands-on collaboration, PwC and OpenAI are creating a continuous feedback loop between emerging innovation and real-world execution. This model allows both organizations to rapidly test, refine, and scale capabilities in ways that are practical, enterprise-ready, and closely aligned to the evolving priorities of CFOs.

Co-developing the future of Intelligent Enterprise for Finance

The focus of this collaboration is on practical, high-value workflows where AI agents can execute and coordinate work under human supervision. This includes:

Procurement agents that guide intake, create requisitions, answer policy questions, record item receipt and support procurement workflowsSpecialized agents that accelerate contract review, perform risk assessments, and power other autonomous finance operationsBespoke applications that help automate accruals, accelerate close activities, streamline reporting, and deliver customized dashboards — enabling domain experts to build targeted solutions around enterprise platforms faster and better serve stakeholders.

By leveraging Workspace Agents, Codex and OpenAI emerging product surfaces, the collaboration aims to show how finance teams can move beyond point automation toward an enterprise operating model where agents run repeatable workflows, surface exceptions, and continuously improve how work gets done.

PwC is proud to collaborate with OpenAI in this way within the finance domain, helping shape how an AI native finance function can be deployed with the governance, transparency, and control required in enterprise environments. Together, PwC and OpenAI are translating emerging AI capabilities into enterprise-ready solutions designed to work within existing finance systems, controls, and operating models.

You can learn more about how PwC and OpenAI are helping drive impact here: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/technology/alliances/openai.html

About PwC 

At PwC, we help clients build trust and reinvent so they can turn complexity into a competitive advantage. We’re a tech-forward, people-empowered network with more than 364,000 people in 136 countries and 137 territories. Across audit and assurance, tax and legal, deals and consulting we help clients build, accelerate and sustain momentum. Find out more at www.pwc.com.

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SOURCE PwC

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