From Sudbury to Berlin: Cambrian College takes innovation to the World Stage – October 28

SUDBURY, ON – Cambrian College is taking its expertise and success in applied research and innovation to the world stage next month.

Mike Commito, Director of Cambrian R&D, will be a panelist at the 2026 Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, Germany, November 7^th. The Summit takes place annually to mark the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Established in 2009, it brings together experts to explore scientific breakthroughs, emerging technologies, and opportunities for international collaboration.

This year’s summit has a particularly strong Canadian connection. Canada is the official partner country, and a Canadian delegation organized by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) will highlight the country’s research and innovation strengths, including the work of Cambrian R&D, the college’s applied research division. Cambrian is the only college to be part of the Canadian delegation.

The panel discussion involving Cambrian R&D is called “Academic research and commercialization for the people.” Other panelists include Melanie Woodin, President of the University of Toronto; Katja Becker, President of the German Research Foundation (DFG); and moderator Alejandro Adem, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

“It’s a tremendous honour to be on that stage with such a distinguished group of international experts, and getting to tell Cambrian’s success story for others to learn from it,” says Commito. “Our model is simple. Industries like mining and health care bring us challenges, partners like NSERC and ISED help make the work possible, and our researchers and students build the solution. Those results are the story we are proud to share with the world in Berlin.”

Cambrian R&D’s activities support industry partners in developing, testing, refining, and implementing new technologies. The college’s deepest roots are in mining and heavy industry, but its portfolio also includes AI, health care, and the social sciences.

“Our work was really on display this past year,” adds Commito. “For example, Sudbury-area company RufDiamond came to us with an idea sketched on the back of a napkin to create a trailer with a lift-and-unload system that could be attached to its Fat Truck extreme terrain vehicle to haul cargo to remote locations, which would not be possible otherwise. RufDiamond had no capacity to build it in-house. With funding support from NSERC, our researchers and students took the concept from scale model to full industrial prototype, and this summer the platform was deployed to help fight wildfires in remote areas of northwestern Ontario.”

Working with Health Sciences North, Cambrian R&D also developed a first-of-its-kind training manikin, complete with a 3D-printed rib cage and heart, which allows surgeons to practice a rare, life-saving procedure. More projects are currently in various stages of development, including new developments in mining electrification.

More information about the Falling Walls Science Summit is available at https://falling-walls.com.

For more information about Cambrian R&D, visit http://cambriancollege.ca/rd.