College-industry partnerships receive new funding for research labs and equipment

OTTAWA, ON — The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is pleased to announce nearly $5 million in funding for research facilities and equipment at colleges across the country to help support business innovation.

The funding was awarded to seven projects at six colleges through the CFI’s College-Industry Innovation Fund in partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)’s College and Community Innovation Program. “This partnership ensures that Canadian colleges, CÉGEPs and polytechnics have the tools, research spaces, equipment and expertise they need to help organizations and businesses stay competitive,” says Dr. Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and CEO of the CFI.

One project receiving funding will help orthotics, prosthetics and medical equipment companies in Quebec develop and customize their products. “These R&D collaborations contribute not only to the development and commercialization of new products and services for Canadians, but also to the creation of new, quality jobs and valuable training experience for our future generation of workers,” says Alejandro Adem, President of NSERC.

In another project, researchers will work to meet the needs of Western Canada’s growing agriculture technology sector by providing access to a one-stop-shop of agronomic, mechanical, communication, and data expertise. This will help businesses bring new agricultural automation tools to market, create more jobs and grow the region’s economy.

NOTE:
As part of this announcement, an additional $1,472,918 was awarded under the Infrastructure Operating Fund, a mechanism that assists institutions with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with the new infrastructure.