News

Government of Canada Makes Key Investments in World-Class New Brunswick R&D Projects

March 31, 2006

New business software solutions, safer methods of hydrogen storage and new breeds of elite cod broodstock are just a few of the projects that will soon be underway in New Brunswick as a result of Government of Canada investments. The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), today announced that nine innovative research and development projects in New Brunswick will receive up to $21 million under ACOA’s Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF).

The Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs, released details of the projects today at the Wu Conference Centre, in Fredericton, on behalf of Minister MacKay. The selected projects will be led by private sector, university and community college partners, and have a total value of $52 million. The announcement comes as part of a series of announcements today to release details on the 29 highly innovative research and development projects throughout Atlantic Canada receiving funding from the AIF.

“ACOA is making key investments in research and development – investments that support the economic future and competitiveness of Atlantic Canada,” said Minister MacKay. “It’s about finding new ways of doing things, creating new approaches, new products and services and bringing them to markets around the world. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting these kinds of projects that bring new knowledge, new jobs and new business opportunities to the Atlantic region.”

“The Government of Canada is supporting innovation that brings new economic opportunities for Atlantic Canada,” said Minister Thompson. “These investments support an impressive array of different projects, which will take our local expertise and turn it into world-class research and development to build our economy, increase trade and investment, and help retain our youth and attract new talent.”

Earlier today, Minister MacKay also announced the process for accepting proposals for the next round of projects to be funded under the Atlantic Innovation Fund. Mandatory letters of intent must be submitted to ACOA by May 10, 2006, and complete project proposals must be submitted by June 28, 2006. Detailed information is available on the ACOA website at: www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca.

ACOA’s Atlantic Innovation Fund is a Government of Canada initiative designed to build the economy of Atlantic Canada by increasing the region’s capacity to carry out leading- edge R&D that contributes directly to the development of new technology-based economic activity. The objective of the Fund is to increase R&D carried out in Atlantic Canadian research facilities, which will lead to the launch of new ideas, products, processes and services.

The AIF projects announced today in New Bruswick include:

Exigen (Canada), Inc.

Business Domain Ontology Development Framework

Create new development tools for effective IT services

Exigen (Canada), Inc. provides business process management software and services to the financial, insurance, government and communication industries. The project will produce a software development tool to assist business in better understanding requirements of end users, and to develop solutions in a more effective manner. The project, with total costs estimated at over $3.6 million, will receive up to $1.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a three-year period.

HSM Systems, Inc.

Develop Novel Hydrogen Storage Media / Products

Creating safe, effective, lower-cost methods for storing hydrogen

HSM Systems, Inc. researches, develops and commercializes novel hydrogen storage media. In partnership with the University of New Brunswick, it has identified several promising candidates for novel hydrogen storage materials and a new means of reprocessing established storage media. These developments will result in safer and cheaper ways to store and ship hydrogen for industrial users. This project, with total estimated costs of over $3 million, will receive up to $2.2 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over an 18-month period.

Genome Atlantic

Atlantic Cod Genomics and Broodstock Development Project

Genomics research to develop new breeds of elite cod broodstock for use in aquaculture

Genome Atlantic conducts R&D of genomics and proteomics in Atlantic Canada. The project is led by the Huntsman Marine Science Centre and Genome Atlantic. It will combine selective breeding with genomics and fish biology to identify elite cod broodstock for use in aquaculture. The project, with total costs estimated at over $18 million, will receive up to $3.1 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

Mathis Instruments Ltd.

Pharmaceutical Solutions Using Enhanced and New Sensor Technology

New non-contact testing sensors for testing and monitoring pharmaceuticals

Mathis Instruments Ltd. develops thermal analysis instruments for manufacturing sectors, with an emphasis on pharmaceutical manufacturers. The project consists of enhancing existing – and creating new – effusivity sensors for manufacturing processes. This project, with total estimated costs of over $5.6 million, will receive up to $3 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a three-year period.

Université de Moncton

SynergiC3 e-learning productivity enhancement framework

Creation of e-learning solutions to decrease production times and lower costs

The Groupe des technologies de l'apprentissage (GTA) develops and implements e-learning solutions at the Université de Moncton. GTA, in partnership with Desire2Learn and the National Research Council, will develop a software suite called SynergiC3. This technology will significantly decrease production times and costs in developing e-learning content. With total estimated project costs of over $5.5 million, the project will receive up to $2.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a four- year period.

University of New Brunswick

Advanced Processes for Infrastructure Asset Management System

Developing new software for better infrastructure planning

The University of New Brunswick’s D. C. Campbell Chair in Highway and Pavement Research develops and promotes sustainable solutions for issues facing Canada’s road building industry. This project will develop specialized software that will link individual infrastructure management systems together, in order to facilitate high level, long-term planning and resource forecasting. This project, with total estimated costs of over $4 million, will receive up to $2.5 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over four to five years.

University of New Brunswick

Innovative Mechanical and Chemi-Mechanical Pulping Technologies for Value-Added Pulp and Paper Products

New technologies to produce high-quality papers and reduce costs to produce pulp and paper

UNB’s Limerick Pulp and Paper Centre is the only pulp and paper research centre in Atlantic Canada. The project will develop innovative technologies to increase the use of mechanical pulp as a substitute for more expensive and less environmentally friendly kraft pulp in many paper grades. It will also focus on transforming existing newsprint production lines into paper lines for highly value-added specialty paper products. The project, with a total cost of over $2.6 million, will receive $1.5 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

University of New Brunswick

Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture

Improved productivity and increased environmental sustainability for aquaculture sites

This project will be led by the new Institute for Coastal Marine Science, created by the University of New Brunswick, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. It will develop a process to combine the cultivation of finfish and shellfish (which filter organic waste particles) with seaweeds (which absorb dissolved inorganic nutrients) at the same site. This project, with total costs of over $7 million, will receive up to $2.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

University of New Brunswick

Innovative Anaerobic Digester System for Waste Treatment and Bioenergy Production

Creation of a new, more efficient process for treating wastewater and generating bio-energy

The Department of Civil Engineering at UNB and ADI Systems, a private sector partner with international expertise in wastewater treatment technologies, will develop and market a new anaerobic digester to treat high strength biodegradable wastewater and liquid slurries. The new bioreactor will generate bio-energy while treating wastewater more efficiently. The project, with total costs estimated at almost $2 million, will receive up to $1 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.