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$27 million to support 23 innovative projects across the Edmonton Metropolitan Region

September 5, 2019

From: Western Economic Diversification Canada

Western Economic Diversification Canada announced over $27 million in new investments for 23 projects across the Edmonton Metropolitan Region. Funding for these projects is provided through three programs that foster innovation.

Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) funding of $18,249,749 will support 12 small- and medium-sized businesses in Edmonton, DeBolt, and Leduc. By providing interest-free loans for these projects, the Government of Canada is supporting expansion into new markets and innovation related to nanotechnology, cosmetics, electronics, health technology, textiles, and digital technology.

Through the Regional Innovation Ecosystems (RIE) program, the Government of Canada is providing $6,250,730 to eight projects in Edmonton. These investments support a diverse range of innovations in advanced manufacturing, aviation, youth-developed technologies, natural products and foods, life sciences, and artificial intelligence.

The Western Diversification Program (WDP) makes strategic investments in initiatives that enhance and strengthen the economy of Western Canada. Through this program, three projects in Edmonton will receive a combined investment of $2,680,670 to support development of autonomous vehicles, advanced manufacturing, and natural resources youth leadership.  

All funded projects indicated below are subject to negotiation of contribution agreements.

BSP program funding

OrganizationProject DescriptionLocationFunding
Applied Quantum Materials Inc.EdmontonIncrease silicon nanomaterials production for defense, security and construction markets.$200,000
Barriertek Inc.LeducExpand manufacturing capacity of fire-retardant construction materials for residential and commercial buildings.$1,950,000
Clinisys EMREdmontonOpen new markets in Canada and the United States for a new cloud-based electronic medical records and data analytics software system, which makes use of artificial intelligence to improve patient care.   $907,875
Davey Textile Solutions Inc.EdmontonMake improvements to a facility that will increase manufacturing productivity of reflective safety trim for the textile industry.$742,000
EC Labs Inc.EdmontonLaunch a new, luxury, high-performance hair care line for the North American, Chinese and Japanese markets.$350,000
Levven Electronics Ltd.EdmontonIncrease manufacturing capacity to handle sales volume increase of smart building products.$660,000
NanoSpeed Diagnostics Inc. & 1715940 Alberta Ltd.EdmontonEstablish a manufacturing facility for rapid tests and commercialize a test for ferritin.$804,812
Pleasant Solutions Inc.EdmontonIncrease sales and promotion of high-security offerings, including Pleasant Password Server, a solution for organizations to manage passwords and sensitive information, to international markets.$2,450,000
Quantiam Technologies Inc.EdmontonExpand production of nanomaterial and processing technology that reduces wear, corrosion, and buildup of coke residue on metal alloy surfaces.$2,369,541
Sonar Software Inc.DeBoltCommercialize the next generation of billing software for internet service providers.$3,000,000
Umay Care Holdings Inc.EdmontonPurchase equipment and launch a device, which manages digital eyestrain, in North American and European markets.$276,353
Willowglen Systems Ltd.EdmontonMarket and globally commercialize new automation technology that improves environmental stewardship and efficiency of mission-critical industrial infrastructure such as pipelines and metro systems.$4,539,168
Total:$18,249,749

RIE program funding

OrganizationLocationProject DescriptionInvestment
Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii)EdmontonDemonstrate technologies from Alberta stakeholders that establish viable uses for artificial intelligence and machine learning in health and data analytics.$2,750,000
BioAlbertaEdmontonSupport producers of natural health products and functional foods in Alberta to innovate and grow their businesses.$200,000
BioAlbertaEdmontonAssist small and medium-size enterprises in Alberta’s life sciences sector to scale up, grow, and market their products internationally.$60,000
C-FER Technologies Inc.EdmontonPurchase equipment for local companies to use for calibrating and testing high-load equipment products exceeding 1 million pounds.$225,000
Edmonton Economic Development (Startup Edmonton)EdmontonDeliver a Youth Entrepreneurship Program to build post-secondary students’ entrepreneurial skills and empower youth founders to launch a tech-enabled business through program support, workspace, and mentorship opportunities.$250,000
NorQuest College, Bow Valley College, Concordia University of Edmonton, and Athabasca UniversityEdmontonDevelop and enhance programming to increase the number of students, skilled workers, and companies trained in artificial intelligence and data analytics.$1,150,000
University of AlbertaEdmontonTest and validate renewable jet fuels, which are produced from lipid-to-hydrocarbon technology that converts agricultural waste fats and low-grade oils into fuels and other chemicals.$1,565,730
University of AlbertaEdmontonDeliver international advanced manufacturing event and hackathon in May 2019.$50,000
Total:$6,250,730

WDP funding

OrganizationLocationProject DescriptionInvestment
Alberta Centre for Advanced MNT Products (ACAMP)EdmontonPurchase equipment that will help companies develop, test, and commercialize new technologies for autonomous systems.$1,500,000
United Nations Association in CanadaEdmontonDeliver “New Diplomacy of Natural Resources” forums throughout Western Canada that bring together young Canadian scholars and leading experts from the private sector, government, environmental, and Indigenous organizations to engage in productive discussions about the sustainable and inclusive development of Western Canada’s natural resources.$120,670
University of AlbertaEdmontonDevelop an advanced manufacturing system for automated repairs of heavy machine components.$1,060,000
Total:$2,680,670
 Related Products News release: Government of Canada supports innovative businesses and organizations in Edmonton and surrounding areas
Contact Donna Kinley
Regional Communications Manager
Western Economic Diversification Canada
780-902-2984
Donna.Kinley@canada.ca

Sherri Bouslama