News Releases - Government of Canada invests in small and medium-sized businesses across Southern Ontario

September 4, 2009 — Ottawa, Ontario

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology and Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), announced today that the Government of Canada is supporting job creation for R&D-intensive small- and medium-sized businesses across Southern Ontario through strategic investments.

"The Government of Canada is investing in innovative companies to create jobs and stimulate the economy in communities across Southern Ontario," said Minister Goodyear. "We are supporting science and technology at local businesses so that people throughout the region will benefit from increased opportunities as we strengthen the long-term capacity for research and innovation of these firms."

Left to right: Dr. Sam Stevens, Executive Director, NRC-IRAP Ontario region, The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), Dr. Eric Hoffman, President of Activation Laboratories Ltd. and Mr. David Sweet, Member of Parliament for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale

The Government of Canada is investing $45 million this year - $27.5 million through FedDev Ontario and $17.5 million through the Community Adjustment Fund - as part of its Economic Action Plan to support job creation in Southern Ontario. The $45 million funding allotment is being delivered by the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) and will target businesses in R&D-intensive sectors of the economy.

"Investing in small- and medium-sized companies develops research and innovation capacity at the local level that helps to strengthen the Canadian economy by creating knowledge and commercializing technology," said NRC President Dr. Pierre Coulombe. "That's why NRC-IRAP is helping innovative Canadian businesses grow stronger, faster and bigger."

Minister Goodyear made the announcement at Activation Laboratories Ltd., a firm recognized as a Canadian Innovation Leader for developing innovative analytical solutions for the geochemical, geometallurgical, biotech, material testing, forensic, petroleum, mining, pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries, and in linking scientific research to commercialization, jobs, and economic growth.

The Minister also announced that Activation Laboratories Ltd. would be receiving up to $749,760 through NRC-IRAP for the development of a Mineral Liberation Analyzer. This project will develop facilities and technologies providing quantitative and statistically robust mineralogical data to the mining industry by using automated e-beam technology.

A Canadian Innovation Leader is a small- or medium-sized enterprise (SME) that demonstrates specific advances in research and development within its industrial sector. NRC created the Canadian Innovation Leader Certificate Program to recognize Canadian firms that have successfully developed and applied innovative technologies.

About NRC-IRAP

The NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) provides a range of both technical and business-oriented advisory services along with necessary financial support to qualified innovative Canadian small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan has provided new resources of $200 million over the next two years to bolster NRC-IRAP support for innovative Canadian firms.

About FedDev Ontario

On August 13, 2009, Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally launched the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). This new agency is charged with delivering federal government economic development programs tailored to the specific priorities of workers, businesses and communities in Southern Ontario.

Backgrounder

Government of Canada Economic Action Plan

The Government of Canada is investing $45 million this year - $27.5 million through the new Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and $17.5 million through the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) - as part of its Economic Action Plan to stimulate the economy and job creation in Southern Ontario. The funding is being delivered by the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP).

• Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) initiative: The Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan is providing $1 billion over two years for the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF), an economic stimulus initiative to create employment opportunities and support adjustment measures in communities impacted by the economic downturn. The CAF supports activities such as community transition plans that foster economic development, science and technology initiatives, and other measures that promote economic diversification. This year, NRC-IRAP will deliver $17.5 million of the CAF component in Southern Ontario on behalf of Industry Canada.
• Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario): The Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan is providing $1 billion over five years for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) an economic stimulus initiative that supports economic and community development, innovation and diversification. This year, NRC-IRAP will deliver $27.5 million on behalf of FedDev Ontario.

National Research Council Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)

NRC's main outreach to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is through its Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) which provides support to innovative companies in Canada undertaking research and technology development projects for commercial purposes.

NRC-IRAP provides a range of both technical and business-oriented advisory services along with necessary financial support to qualified innovative Canadian small- and medium-sized enterprises. The program is delivered by a field staff of 240 business and technology experts in more than 100 communities across Canada. Working directly with SMEs, NRC-IRAP supports innovative research and development (R&D) and helps companies become commercialization-ready with their new products and services.

While the program operates three separate contribution programs - contribution to firms, contribution to organizations and a Youth Employment Program - NRC-IRAP's main contribution component is in the form of a non-repayable contribution that reimburses the labour costs of a research and development project directly to firms.

Putting science to work for Canada

NRC-IRAP received an investment in Budget 2009 - Canada's Economic Action Plan - of $200 million over the next two years. NRC-IRAP is committed to using this new funding to help the Government build a competitive advantage for Canada based on excellence in science and technology (S&T).

The funding includes $170 million to double NRC-IRAP's contributions to firms and $30 million to help hire more than 1,000 new post-secondary graduates via its Youth Employment Program.

The budget commitment reinforces NRC-IRAP's mandate to help SMEs take knowledge from the lab to the marketplace. The budget commitment also broadens NRC-IRAP's ability to provide S&T expertise to SMEs. NRC-IRAP estimates this will enable it to provide larger contributions to firms per project and allow it to support approximately 1,400 additional SMEs beyond the annual base over the next two years.

Canadian Innovation Leader (CIL) Certificate

A Canadian Innovation Leader is a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) that demonstrated a specific advance in research and development within its industrial sector. This advance has contributed to the wealth of the country, either from a corporate growth perspective, job creation, or through a particular investment in research and development that has improved the lives of Canadians. NRC created the Canadian Innovation Leader (CIL) Certificate Program to recognize Canadian firms that have successfully developed and applied innovative technologies, linking scientific research to commercialization, jobs, and economic growth.

Activation Laboratories Ltd.

Activation Laboratories Ltd. is an Ancaster, Ontario-based company, developing innovative analytical solutions for the geochemical, geometallurgical, biotech, material testing, forensic, petroleum, mining, pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries.

Activation Laboratories is receiving up to $749,760 - including $497,440 through FedDev Ontario - for a multi-year project that will develop high-tech nanotechnology solutions to provide mineralogical data to the mining industry. This technology will reduce sample analysis turnaround time from days to hours.

Since 1991, Activation Laboratories has received technical and business expertise as well as financial contributions through NRC-IRAP totalling more than $1.29 million.