Niagara manufacturing sector gets $1.57M FedDev Ontario funding
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
Niagara College receiving as much as $990,000 to establish Industry Innovation Centre at Niagara
WELLAND, Ont.—The manufacturing sector in Ontario’s Niagara Region is getting a major cash injection from Canada’s federal government.
The region, home to approximately 800 small- and medium-sized manufacturers, is getting a boost from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), with as much as $1.57-million dolled out to both Niagara College and the Niagara Economic Development Corporation (NEDC) in a bid to boost support and resources available to the sector.
According to FedDev Ontario, Niagara College is receiving as much as $990,000 through the agency’s Prosperity Initiative to establish the Industry Innovation Centre at Niagara—also known as IIC@N.
The IIC@N will provide small regional manufacturers with access to facilities, equipment, resources and technical expertise to help with everything from product development, market expansion and technology adoption.
The federal agency is also providing as much as $580,000 to NEDC to establish an initiative aimed at revitalizing the overall manufacturing base in the Niagara region.
According to FedDev Ontario, the NEDC funding is intended to support small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in Niagara through activities like business mentoring, referral services and strategic partnering to help improve productivity and market opportunities.
Both contributions are non-repayable.
“By supporting the Niagara-region manufacturing sector, our government is not only helping to create more modern, efficient and market-ready manufacturers while creating jobs in Niagara, but we are also strengthening Canada’s position in the manufacturing sector in the global marketplace,” Minister of State for FedDev Ontario Gary Goodyear said in a statement.
Together, the two projects are aimed at creating an environment that encourages the growth and revitalization of the Niagara Region by helping businesses to identify areas for expansion, as well as providing the tools and referrals necessary to take action.
“Niagara has more than 800 small- and medium-sized manufacturers who are working hard to be competitive, yet do not have in-house research and innovation capacity,” Niagara College associate vice-president of research Marc Nantel.
