News Releases - Government of Canada supports research and innovation

December 11, 2009 — Ottawa, Ontario

Royal Galipeau, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Orleans, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), today announced a contribution for PIKA Technologies Inc. from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP).

"Our government is investing in science and technology to create jobs, strengthen the economy and improve Canadians' quality of life," said Mr. Galipeau. "Canada's Economic Action Plan provides close to $5 billion toward science and technology initiatives. This represents one of the single-largest federal budget investments in S&T to date, contributing to the creation of a stronger, more innovative economy and a more prosperous Canada."

Left to right: Royal Galipeau, MP for Ottawa-Orléans, Jim Pinard, President and CEO – PIKA Technologies and Llynne Plante, Acting Executive Director, National Office, NRC’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)

This $500,000 contribution from NRC-IRAP will support the Ottawa-based company in researching and developing a leading-edge telephony board that functions as a smaller version of a computer. PIKA Technologies will also develop wireless integration for this appliance. This new technology will be more compact and cost-effective, benefiting small businesses with limited space.

"Investing in science and technology is critical for developing highly skilled people and improving the long-term competitiveness of Canadian firms," said NRC President Dr. Pierre Coulombe. "That's why NRC-IRAP is helping innovative Canadian businesses such as PIKA Technologies grow stronger, faster, and bigger."

PIKA Technologies' leading-edge solutions support a wide-range of telephony-related products such as call recording, fax servers, interactive voice response systems, voice mail and teleconferencing applications. These products make communicating easier, allowing businesses to connect seamlessly with employees and clients around the world.

Meanwhile, PIKA Technologies is also being recognized as a Canadian Innovation Leader for linking scientific research to commercialization, jobs, and economic growth.

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.

"NRC-IRAP is playing an important role in the success of the company," said Jim Pinard, President of PIKA Technologies. "The financial support we are receiving from NRC-IRAP will help us continue to innovate high-tech solutions for the telecommunications industry in Canada and around the world."

About NRC and 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 program is delivered by a field staff of 240 professionals in more than 100 communities across Canada. NRC-IRAP is committed to working with small- and medium-sized enterprises while they realize their full potential, turning knowledge and innovation into strategic opportunities, jobs and prosperity for all Canadians.

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. To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan.

Backgrounder

Government of Canada supports innovation for small- and medium-sized enterprises, youth employment

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 SMEs. 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.

Science at work for Canada

NRC-IRAP received an investment in Budget 2009, Canada's Economic Action Plan, of $200 million over the next two years. This is new money. 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 that this new money will allow it to support approximately 1,400 additional SMEs over the next two years.

Canadian Innovation Leader (CIL) Certificate

A Canadian Innovation Leader is a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) that demonstrates 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.

PIKA Technologies Inc.

PIKA Technologies Inc. is a telecommunications technology innovator, developing specialized telephony boards designed to make it easier to integrate a personal computer to the public telephone network. This leading-edge technology supports telephony-related products such as call recording, fax servers, interactive voice response systems, voice mail and teleconferencing applications.

This $500,000 contribution from NRC-IRAP will support the Ottawa-based company in researching and developing a leading-edge telephony board that functions as a smaller version of a computer. PIKA Technologies will also develop wireless integration for this appliance, which is in demand in the North American and European markets. This new technology will be more compact and cost-effective, benefiting small businesses with limited space.

PIKA technologies has been operation since 1997 and employs more than 50 staff, some of whom assemble its electronic components on-site at its offices in Ottawa.

Since 2004, PIKA Technologies has received technical and business expertise as well as financial contributions through NRC-IRAP totalling $783,000.