From 1 to 4 March 2025, the 94th edition of the PDAC trade fair, one of the world’s leading events dedicated to the mining sector and mineral resource exploration, took place in Toronto.

Every year, this event brings together thousands of industry professionals, including geologists, experts and investors involved in the exploration and mining of minerals.

Arrival at the conference – the start of a busy day of meetings and presentations

Poland was represented by, among others, Monika Kwiatkowska from the Mineral Resource Policy Unit of the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute (PGI-NRI), and Michał Nowosielski, a representative of the Ministry of Climate and Environment and Head of the Department of Mineral Resource Policy and International Affairs. The delegates actively promoted Poland at the European Union stand and took part in a number of events held alongside the fair.

The Polish delegation at the PDAC 2026 (from left): Michał Nowosielski, Head of the Department of Mineral Resource Policy and International Affairs at the Ministry of Climate and Environment, and Monika Kwiatkowska from the Mineral Resource Policy Unit at PGI-NRI

The PDAC trade fair is one of the most important and largest industry events in the world. Every year, Toronto becomes a meeting place for thousands of representatives from the mineral resource sector, including representatives from the mining industry, service companies, the scientific and academic communities, geological services and government delegations from every continent. This year’s edition attracted over 32,000 participants – a record attendance in the event’s history. Over the course of four days, there were numerous discussions on mineral resources, business contacts were made, and new partnerships were formed. Around 1,300 exhibitors showcased their offer, including representatives from public administration, leaders of global corporations and technical experts from around the world.

One of the exhibition halls at PDAC 2026

The European Union’s stand at the centre of the exhibition hall

The PGI-NRI's promotional materials proved very popular with visitors to the stand

One of the discussions panels during the event: ‘The EU Business and Networking Breakfast – Choose Europe: European Union for a Resilient and Sustainable Future’

As part of the events accompanying the fair, a meeting was also held, entitled ‘Polish-Canadian opportunities in mineral extractions’, organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Canada The event was honoured by the presence of the Polish Ambassador to Canada, H.E. Witold Dzielski. The following people took part in the panel discussion: Anna Sobieraj-Kozakiewicz, Vice-President for International Assets; Andrzej Dycha, President of the PAIH; Todd Smith, Vice-President for Marketing and Business Development (Candu Energy Inc.) and Tyler Allsopp, MPP for Ontario. Members of the Polish delegation from PGI_NRI and the Ministry of Climate and Environment were also invited to the meeting. The meeting highlighted the importance of sustained dialogue in strengthening Polish-Canadian economic relations. During the event, such topics were covered as investment projects, modern technologies in the mining sector and opportunities for future cooperation in the energy sector, with participants emphasising their openness and willingness to develop partnerships.

The Polish Ambassador to Canada, H.E. Witold Dzielski, opening the meeting entitled ‘Polish-Canadian opportunities in mineral extractions’

Representatives from Poland also took part in the ‘European Union Day at PDAC’ event, as part of a session entitled ‘The EU Business and Networking Breakfast – Choose Europe: European Union for a Resilient and Sustainable Future’, focused on the need to increase investment and mutual cooperation in sustainable and resilient raw materials supply chains. Selected representatives from EU member states took part in panel discussions addressing key issues relating to funding, national programmes for the exploration of critical raw materials, and selected strategic projects.

The event was attended by both the world’s largest mining companies – including Rio Tinto, BHP and Teck Resources – as well as hundreds of smaller junior companies, which presented the results of their exploration work and sought to attract the attention of investors and business partners. Numerous countries also presented their resources and raw material potential, including Canada, Australia, the United States, Mongolia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, African countries and many European ones.

Participation in the trade fair also provided a valuable opportunity to learn about the latest research methods, advanced technological solutions and current trends in the field of exploration of mineral deposits. The event also provided an opportunity to network and exchange experiences with representatives of geological services from around the world. The representatives took part in events such as ‘Ontario Day’, ‘Quebec Day’ and ‘Greenland Day’. Michał Nowosielski from the Ministry of Climate and Environment also attended a meeting on the implementation of the CETA trade agreement between the EU and Canada. The meeting focused on strengthening the partnership between the European Union and Canada in the field of critical raw materials.

An event entitled ‘Unlocking Europe’s Mineral Raw Materials Potential: New Data, New Projects, New Opportunities’ organised by EuroGeoSurveys and ETP SMR (photo: https://eurogeosurveys.org/europes-raw-materials-potential-pdac-2026/)

The latest technological solutions used in the mining sector were also showcased at the trade fair. The delegates visited the stands of companies specialising in advanced digital tools that assist in the analysis of geological data and support the exploration for mineral resources. There were also representatives from Poland – the stand of the Polish start-up TerraEye, which is actively involved in the field of exploration of mineral deposits using satellite remote sensing technology and AI-based analysis, proved very popular at the fair.

TerraEye’s stand at the PDAC 2026

The PDAC exhibition is one of the most important sources of information on the direction of development in modern mining and current global trends in the minerals sector. This year’s edition, as in previous years, focused clearly on issues relating to the extraction and exploration of copper and gold deposits.

Four days is a relatively short time to fully explore what all the exhibitors have to offer and discuss the many important industry-related topics. Participation in the fair leaves one wanting more and motivates one to take part again in the next edition. This is because it is an excellent opportunity to further expand our knowledge and experience, as well as to showcase the Institute’s achievements in research and projects on the international stage.

The PGI-NRI’s participation is of paramount importance, as attending the PDAC trade fair enables the the Institute to monitor the global raw materials market first-hand, identify the latest trends in the exploration and extraction of mineral resources, and establish contacts with key industry players.

Text: Monika Kwiatkowska
Photos: Monika Kwiatkowska, Michał Nowosielski, Hryhoriy Oliynichuk