NGen announces co-funding for twelve projects valued at over $4M

NGen announces co-funding for over 12 projects in the advanced manufacturing industry.

HAMILTON — Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), the industry-led organization leading Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, has co-funded twelve projects at the Pilot and Feasibility stage valued at over $4 million, supporting SMEs as they prove out and de-risk advanced manufacturing development and implementation projects.

“In partnership with Canada’s Innovation Superclusters, we are building a successful innovation ecosystem that will support important areas of the economy where Canada has a significant competitive advantage,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “We are proud to support projects like these, which demonstrate Canadian SMEs’ ability to develop groundbreaking products, processes and technologies.”

“These projects highlight what NGen does best, bringing Canadian partners from across the country to collaborate on new transformative projects, and providing critical financial support at a time when they need it most,” said Jayson Myers, CEO, NGen. “It’s expensive and risky to create something new; to develop world leading solutions, it’s critical that we support and de-risk technology development at its early stages.

The following projects were approved for NGen co-investment, and were selected by a panel of independent experts:

• 3D BioFibR Incorporated and biomaterials company from Dalhousie University will create a transformative advanced biofiber manufacturing process in Canada capable of producing spider silk, collagen, and several other protein fibers for a wide variety of applications. The new process seeks to improve the manufacturing process to produce multifilament protein fibers that have the lengths, linear density, and strengths necessary to be processed using industrial weaving and braiding equipment.
• Apex Industries Moncton, NB, and a partner company based in Saint John, NB, are developing a novel manufacturing process and installation method for manufactured stone veneer panels, enabling them to present a complete manufacturing process to the market.
• Cast Analytics Incorporated, Vancouver, BC, along with partners Empower Operations Corporation, Surrey, BC, and Applied CCM Incorporated, Ottawa, ON, are undertaking the development and industrial demonstration of a new software solution for metal casting. The project will create a metal casting digital twin with integrated artificial intelligence driven optimization.
• Datec Coating Corporation, Mississauga, ON and its partner, Process Research Ortech Incorporated, Mississauga, ON, are developing a chemical manufacturing technology that will produce a third-generation green disinfectant in the 700 MM$ chemical market for waste water disinfection. The disinfectant may also be used in drinking water treatment, bio-solids remediation, food processing, medical equipment disinfection, industrial effluent treatment and specialty chemicals synthesis.
• Deep Cryogenics International Incorporated, Lunenberg, NS, and partner Induspec, North Bay, ON, are manufacturing a deep cryogenic treatment tank (DCT) for use in the mining, power, marine and energy industries.
• Macrodyne Technologies Incorporated, Concord, ON, and Ridgetech Automation, Cambridge, ON, are developing a technology that will reduce materials and labor costs in the automotive sector. The project will focus on the Electrical Vehicle sub-sector of the Automotive Industry.
• Petra Hygienic Systems International Limited, Concord, ON, and Sidac Automated Systems Incorporated, Toronto, ON, are building new machine vision technology that will be applied to COBOTs for randomized product selection, starting with bottles and pumps.
• Quali Artificial Intelligence Incorporated, Kitchener, ON, and Novo Textile, Coquitlam, BC, are developing a solution for manufacturers to increase their productivity by allowing an operator to remotely take over the control of a robotic arm.
• Synaptive Medical, Toronto, ON, and MRIdt, London, ON, will design and build a flexible production line for MRI gradient coils, developing the capability to simulate, optimize and manufacture more advanced gradient coils.

Additional projects are being led by Hazelett Castechnology ULC, Kingston, ON, Exergy Solutions, Calgary, AB, and Advanced BioCarbon 3D, Rossland, BC.