The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) has announced an investment of $3 million for Lambton College of Applied Arts and Technology in partnership with Fanshawe College, Mohawk College, and Loyalist College, to establish the Canadian Bio-Cleantech Applied Research Network (CBARN).
CBARN will provide research, technical, and commercialization support to over 60 southern Ontario-based early-stage small and medium enterprises (SME) in the bio-clean tech sector. This will lead to the development of 80 technologies, processes, or products and will help support more than 110 jobs, the announcement revealed.
During the announcement, Peter Fragiskatos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for London North Centre, noted that participating firms will focus on producing new low carbon products and innovations in greenhouse gas reduction. Additionally, college partners will provide advice, access to lab equipment, entrepreneurial and networking support, and also assist in the development of commercial prototypes.
Students in the science and technology fields at CBARN institutions will have opportunities to develop and apply their skills in support of the participating SMEs. This will help contribute to building a skilled labour force.
The research network will ensure that at least 25 per cent of SMEs supported by CBARN are owned or led by underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous peoples, members of racialized communities, women, members of the LGBTQ2+ community, and newcomers to Canada.
SMEs will be selected to receive up to two years of dedicated research and commercialization support. Each company will have a defined project goal, research plan, and budget. CBARN will then assign research and technical advisory staff to support those companies, provide access to infrastructure and expertise, provide networking and entrepreneurial support as required and help define and develop the commercial technology
“Today’s investment reinforces the Government of Canada’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 by supporting projects that pave the way for a cleaner future, contributing to a resilient economy and the generation of good green jobs,” The Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for FedDev, said in a statement. “Through the Canadian Bio-Cleantech Applied Research Network, 65 bio-based SMEs will be able to increase their competitiveness, products and customer base, grow their business and increase their workforce, boosting Canada’s green economy for years to come.”
Additional CBARN details and the application process can be found here.
