CALGARY, Sept. 5, 2019 /CNW/ - Innovation continues to revolutionize many sectors in Canada's economy. Through a wide range of programs available to businesses and institutions, researchers, and entrepreneurs, the Government of Canada is ensuring southern Alberta remains competitive in tomorrow's innovation economy.
Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada, announced over $38 million in new investments for 27 projects across southern Alberta. Funding for these projects is provided through three programs that foster innovation.
Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) funding of $22,341,500 will support 10 small- and medium-sized businesses in Calgary, Lethbridge, Coaldale, Cochrane, and Olds. By providing interest-free loans for these projects, the government is supporting expansion into new markets and innovation related to agri-tech, advanced manufacturing, digital technology, and clean technology.
Through the Regional Innovation Ecosystems (RIE) program, the Government of Canada is investing $11,340,458 for 14 projects. These investments in Calgary, Red Deer, and Foremost support a diverse range of innovation including drone technology, digital technology, artificial intelligence, business accelerators, renewable energy, clean technology, digital health, and life sciences.
The Western Diversification Program (WDP) makes strategic investments in initiatives that enhance and strengthen the economy of Western Canada. Through this program, three projects in Calgary are receiving $4,920,000 to support development of greenhouse gas-reducing technologies, establish an internet-of-things testing facility, and launch a precision medicine centre.
Quotes
"We're making a substantial investment in southern Alberta's leadership in a variety of sectors, from energy to agriculture. Canada's prosperity depends on our ability to diversify our economy and seize the opportunities in the rapidly changing global economy. Using the tools at our disposal, the government is positioning Calgary and southern Alberta to prosper from its unique advantages."
- The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada
BSP program funding
Organization |
Location |
Project Description |
Investment |
4iiii Innovations Inc. |
Cochrane |
Expansion of manufacturing processes and facilities. Increase sales and promotion of sports electronics and cloud-based data solutions. |
$2,515,000 |
Attabotics Inc. |
Calgary |
Open a second manufacturing facility to increase production of a robotic technology that reduces costs and inefficiencies in warehouses. |
$5,000,000 |
Barr-Ag Ltd. |
Olds |
Purchase specialized equipment to produce dehydrated corn silage and corn forage mixes for sale in international markets. |
$2,150,000 |
ConstructShield Products Corp. |
Calgary |
Increase automation for manufacturing of MEGCRETe High Performance Building System and expand sales and promotion. |
$2,172,500 |
Flexahopper Plastics Ltd. |
Lethbridge |
Improve productivity of rotomolding manufacturing process with a new Thermal-flex system. |
$1,330,000 |
Johnson Systems Inc. |
Calgary |
Launch the new PRESIDOR LED Dimming Control product line in North American and European markets. |
$400,000 |
Lighthouse Labs Inc. |
Calgary |
Expand operations in Calgary by offering coding boot camps and other programming courses. |
$712,500 |
Southland Trailer Corp. |
Lethbridge |
Scale-up the manufacturing capacity of gravel and highway trailer product lines, while also reducing waste. |
$3,000,000 |
Whole Leaf Ltd. |
Coaldale |
Purchase and install advanced technology for the production of greenhouse produce. |
$3,561,500 |
ZeroKey Inc. |
Calgary |
Commercialize Big Room, an IoT technology that uses a network of sensors to track the 3D movement of assets within large commercial/industrial spaces. |
$1,500,000 |
Total: |
$22,341,500 |
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RIE program funding
Organization |
Location |
Project Description |
Investment |
AcceleratorYYC (The Accelerator) |
Calgary |
Increase capacity to assist technology entrepreneurs and high-growth companies to scale-up from mid stages to growth stages by providing business acceleration programming and support. |
$261,333 |
Clean Resources Innovation Network |
Calgary |
Build capacity and innovation efforts within the clean resources cluster to increase adoption of clean resource technologies in the oil and gas sector. |
$450,684 |
Cybera Inc. |
Calgary |
Grow and advance Alberta's data science and artificial intelligence ecosystem and encourage the adoption of innovative digital technologies by Alberta-based businesses. |
$117,875 |
Decentralised Energy Canada |
Calgary |
Support 2019 Decentralised Energy Forum. |
$20,000 |
District Ventures |
Calgary |
Expand business accelerator and incubator to support more food, beverage, and health and wellness start-ups. |
$900,000 |
InterGen Canada Inc. |
Calgary |
Develop and launch a technology platform that offers support and guidance for rapidly scaling high-growth small and medium-sized enterprises in Calgary. |
$600,000 |
Pembina Institute (Business Renewables Centre Canada) |
Calgary |
Establish the Business Renewable Centre Canada, a modern marketplace where corporations and institutions can learn how to buy renewable energy directly from developers. |
$375,000 |
Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC) |
Calgary |
Test and validate the usefulness of handheld, mobile, and airborne methane-detecting technologies in a variety of settings through a program called the Intelligent Methane Monitoring and Mitigation System. |
$800,000 |
Red Deer College |
Red Deer |
Expand the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing into a regional hub for innovations services for central Alberta, which will provide industry with access to modern equipment and collaboration on applied research projects. |
$1,728,270 |
University of Calgary (Creative Destruction Labs Rockies) |
Calgary |
Increase capacity to accelerate more high-potential early-stage companies in sciences, clean tech and power. |
$1,000,000 |
University of Calgary (Life Sciences Innovation Hub) |
Calgary |
Accelerate the establishment of the Life Sciences Innovation Hub to support research-intensive startup and growing companies in southern Alberta by providing access to infrastructure, equipment, expertise and offering programs that assist start-ups to deliver commercially-viable products and services to market. |
$3,125,000 |
University of Calgary (W21C Research and Innovation Centre) |
Calgary |
Increase support for digital health innovations by engaging with industry and researchers in product testing, validation and assessments. |
$1,112,296 |
Village of Foremost |
Foremost |
Develop a flight test plan at the Foremost Unmanned Aerial Systems Test Range, which will test operator competency and evaluate drone collision avoidance technology to prepare operators for beyond visual line of sight operation. |
$600,000 |
Western Canadian Defence Industries Association |
Calgary |
Deliver aerospace and defence procurement workshops that prepare and connect small- and medium-sized enterprises, post-secondary institutions, and municipalities to new market opportunities in Canada's aerospace and defence procurement program. |
$250,000 |
Total: |
$11,340,458 |
||
WDP funding
Organization |
Location |
Project Description |
Investment |
CMC Research Institutes Inc. |
Calgary |
Implement a business model that will help accelerate development and commercialization of innovative greenhouse gas-reducing technologies. |
$2,700,000 |
TECTERRA |
Calgary |
Purchase equipment to assist companies developing innovative geospatial technologies with an Internet of Things Test focus. |
$210,000 |
University of Calgary (Alberta Precision Exchange) |
Calgary |
Establish the Alberta Precision Exchange, which will help Alberta innovators and companies to commercialize new precision medicine technologies and processes. |
$2,010,000 |
Total: |
$4,920,000 |
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SOURCE Western Economic Diversification Canada
For further information: Donna Kinley, Regional Communications Manager, Western Economic Diversification Canada, 780-902-2984, [email protected]
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