CALL FOR APPLICATIONS | FILON: Test Your Innovation Against the Realities of Mining

Until October 9, 2026, CLD Rouyn-Noranda, MISA Group and 48e Nord International are inviting technology companies from across Quebec to apply to the first cohort of the FILON project.

Before Investing Further, Validate the Right Problem

Good technology is not enough on its own. It has to meet the right need. Developing an innovation takes time and resources, and involves a series of decisions. As a result, it can be hard to know early enough whether the problem being targeted is truly a priority, whether the value proposition meets industry expectations, or whether certain operational realities could slow adoption.

FILON was created to spark these conversations earlier.

The initiative allows technology companies to test their assumptions against the realities of the mining sector, to better understand the needs their solution could address and to define the direction of their project before investing further in its development or commercialization.

Within this collaborative initiative, MISA Group contributes in particular by bringing companies closer to the realities, the constraints and the people who know the mining industry.

A Program Rooted in the Field

From November 2026 to March 2027, five selected companies will take part in a program of approximately five months that includes two immersion stays in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, working sessions, cohort activities and support between meetings.

The first immersion will combine validation workshops, meetings, mine visits and discussions with the cohort. The second will culminate in a presentation and a networking activity in front of industry stakeholders and experts.

Between the two immersions, companies will continue their thinking and apply what they learned in the field.

FILON is neither a pitch competition nor a promise of a contract or a pilot project. Its value lies elsewhere: giving companies the opportunity to better understand their potential market, to test their assumptions and to make a more informed decision about what comes next.

What Companies Stand to Gain

1. Understanding mining realities
   • Discovering the needs, the constraints and the environments their technology may have to fit into.
2. Testing their assumptions
   • Talking with experts and industry stakeholders to challenge their understanding of the problem and the relevance of their solution.
3. Defining their value proposition
   • Getting a clearer sense of what really matters to users and organizations in the sector, and adjusting how they present the value of their innovation.
4. Building ties with the ecosystem
   • Meeting experts, partners and organizations that help make sense of the sector and its dynamics.
5. Reaching a clearer decision
   • Confirming a direction, refining certain components, adapting the solution or repositioning the project, in every case with a better understanding of the market and of the questions to be resolved next.

Five Companies in a First Cohort

Only five companies will be chosen by the selection committee.

There is no need to be based in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, to already work with a mining company or to have a product on the market. Filon is for Quebec technology companies at a validation stage that want to better understand how their innovation could apply in the mining sector.

The first form takes only a few minutes to complete. Companies whose projects align with Filon’s objectives will then be invited to provide additional information.

Deadline: October 9, 2026

Submit your application here: legroupemisa.com/initiative-filon

Have a question about the initiative, or would you like to discuss it? Get in touch with:

Anouchka Ascione-Chambraud
Director of Operations, MISA Group
AAC@groupemisa.com
819-279-3788

The Filon initiative is driven by CLD Rouyn-Noranda, MISA Group and 48e Nord International, and made possible through the financial support of the Government of Quebec.