Product safety innovation gets funding boost

Vancouver, BC – A new Advanced Prototyping Hub at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has received $996,300 in funding from the federal government. The money will be used to purchase equipment to establish the hub and improve the Institute’s technology commercialization capacity.

“This support enables BCIT to take its existing prototyping capability to the next level,” says Dr Jim Reichert, BCIT’s vice-president of research and international. “The development of enhanced prototyping capabilities within the Advanced Prototyping Hub will increase our capacity to provide effective problem solving and product development support to businesses and industries wishing to access BCIT’s applied research expertise.”

As a key part of BCIT’s plan to establish a Centre of Applied Research and Advanced studies, the new Advanced Prototyping Hub consists of two platforms that will enhance BCIT’s ability to characterize and test the efficacy of new products in areas such as biotechnology, non-timber forestry products and the growing field of natural health products.

The bio-products safety assessment platform will include liquid and gas chromatography equipment, a DNA microarray scanner, and a laboratory information management system.

The integrated design/machine platform will include a lathe, miling machine and associated computer design and simulation software. Work done through this platform will support industry research in information technology, health technology, engineering technology, renewable energy and manufacturing processes.