Aurum Exploration Services has won more than €1 million in new contracts and will double employment at its Meath headquarters to 30.

Aurum made the announcement at Enterprise Ireland’s business networking event in Toronto yesterday, which was attended by Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore as part of his St Patrick’s Day visit to Canada.

The Meath company, which provides technical services to the mineral exploration sector, is opening a Canadian office to service demand from the market.

At the same event, Leading Edge Group said it had expanded its partnership with the Ontario Hospital Association, which will be worth an additional €325,000 this year.

The association represents approximately 154 public hospital corporations across 225 sites in Ontario.