Canada Launches $125M Facilities to Advance Tech Commercialization

To increase the commercial value and economic benefits of federal investments in scientific research, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is launching six new research and innovation facilities valued at over $125 million.

Minister of Industry David Emerson said the new facilities will be directed toward turning Canada’s investments in research into more products, services, high quality jobs, and increasingly productive and competitive businesses. Facility sites are located in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Ville Saguenay, Fredericton and Charlottetown.

Each facility was designed to meet specific needs as defined by the local research infrastructure and the regional technology cluster, according to NRC. The facilities, scheduled to open on various dates throughout November, will focus on the following technology sectors:

• The University of British Columbia in Vancouver will house a $2 million hydrogen technology environmental chamber for fuel cell research. The chamber will simulate extreme temperature, humidity and altitude conditions, allowing companies and researchers to test and evaluate hydrogen vehicles and stationary power systems. NRC, Western Economic Diversification Canada and Fuel Cells Canada are funding the project.
• The NRC Centre for the Commercialization of Biomedical Technology, funded by NRC and the government of Manitoba, will be located in Winnipeg. The $11.2 million Centre will advance innovation and entrepreneurship in biomedical technology, housing more than 40 firms, organizations, and innovation support services and programs.
• NRC’s research complex in Ottawa will house a $43 million Photonics Fabrication Centre. The Centre will draw upon existing facilities and research expertise in photonic materials and devices from the Institute for Microstructurial Sciences. NRC and Carleton University will use their existing equipment, research activities and incubation facilities to support national programs and foster development of photonics technology clusters.
• The Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi campus in Ville Saguenay will house the NRC Aluminum Technology Centre to provide Canadian industry with the technical support and expertise required to develop value-added aluminum-based products and services. Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions contributed $25 million, and NRC provided an additional $32 million to the project.
• The Industrial Partnership Facility at the NRC Institute for Information Technology is a $7.8 million facility providing space for small and medium enterprises working in the information and communications technology sector. Interaction with businesses includes licensed technologies, research and development support and business mentoring, and flexible working partnerships.
• The University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown will house the $11.5 million NRC Institute for Nutrisciences and Health. The facility forms the hub of a biosciences cluster committed to linking investments in research to commercial value in the form of new products, services, businesses, and high-quality jobs. NRC and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency provided funding for the project.

More information on the facilities is available from the NRC Canada at: http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/