Feds invest $18M in business and university research collaboration
by CanadianManufacturing.com Staff
This most recent move includes 20 partnerships among colleges, universities and businesses.
CAMBRIDGE, ONT.—The Government of Canada has announced another round of investment from the College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program. This most recent move includes 20 partnerships among colleges, universities and businesses.
“Collaboration between college and university researchers and the private sector is vital to improving the quality of life of all Canadians, while building a strong economy,” said Minister of State Gary Goodyear as he announced the investment at Conestoga College, a tech institute in Kitchener, Ont.
In total, the Government of Canada will invest about $18 million in new research partnerships, with Conestoga College receiving $515,000 over three years under a College-University Idea to Innovation grant to develop a portable device to detect the gold grade of mineral samples at mines and mineral exploration sites.
It usually takes weeks or even months to ship mineral samples to labs for analysis and retrieve the results. This new gold detector will improve the process and increase efficiency at exploration companies.
The college will collaborate with researchers at Laurentian University, as well as industrial partners Barrick Gold Corp. and Kendall Technology.
“These investments provide businesses with access to the people, resources, and tools at Canada’s colleges that companies need to be at the forefront of innovation,” said Janet Walden, CEO of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). “The ultimate goal is to create sustainable partnerships that will help sharpen our innovative edge and have a positive impact on the bottom lines for industry and our country.”
The CCI Program is managed by NSERC, in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
NSERC is a federal agency that promotes discovery by funding approximately 12,000 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging about 2,400 Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects.
For more information and the full list of recipients, visit the NSERC Web site.
