$17.5M supports R&D commercialization in New Brunswick

Fredericton, NB – R&D funding of $17.5 million has been awarded to seven projects in New Brunswick by the Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF).

This announcement is one of a series detailing 24 research and development projects that will receive $51.8 million in AIF funding throughout Atlantic Canada.

The projects bring together the region’s universities, businesses and research institutions to conduct leading-edge research which, once commercialized, has the potential to grow the local economy.

In addition to the AIF assistance of $17.5 million, project proponents are estimated to leverage an additional $16.6 million in funding from a variety of private and public sector sources, bringing the total value of the New Brunswick projects to approximately $34.1 million. The projects include the recycling and conversion of organic residues and composts into soil amendments, organic fertilizers and value-added peat mix products; the development of a commercial energy recovery ventilation system to reduce energy consumption and overall costs for industry; the creation of a web-based social media technology to give organizations timely and critical insight into the opinions and attitudes of consumers worldwide; and a biotechnology project to assist the pulp and paper industry.

Projects selected for AIF funding in New Brunswick include:

1) Envirem Technologies (Fredericton)
Project: Bio-Products: Development, Testing and Commercialization
In collaboration with the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and the Coastal Zones Research Institute, Envirem Technologies will recycle and convert organic residues and composts into soil amendments, organic fertilizers and value-added peat mix products for use in the agriculture, horticulture, peat and lawn and garden industries. This project, with total estimated costs of $2.6 million, will receive approximately $2.0 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a four-year period.

2) Fantech Limited (Bouctouche)
Project: Energy Recovery System with Adjustable Humidity Transfer
In collaboration with Université de Moncton, Thin Films and Photonics Research Group, Fantech will develop a high- efficiency commercial energy recovery ventilation device using a one wheel energy recovery system through thin-film technology. This technology will reduce energy consumption and overall costs for industrial users. This project, with total estimated costs of $2.2 million, will receive approximately $1.1 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

3) Radian6 Technology (Fredericton)
Project: Online Marketing Dashboard for the Social Web
Radian6 Technologies will create an online marketing dashboard offering real-time monitoring of content generated by internet consumers. This technology will give organizations timely and critical insight into the opinions and attitudes of consumers worldwide and help them to gear their marketing strategies accordingly. This project, with total estimated costs of $4.1 million, will receive approximately $2.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a four-year period.

4) Limerick Pulp and Paper Centre, University of New Brunswick (Fredericton)
Project: Innovative Biotechnologies in Mechanical Pulping and Chemical Pulping Refining for Energy Savings and Fibre Quality Improvement
The proponent will research, develop and commercialize novel biotechnologies to reduce energy consumption in wood and pulp refining, a significant challenge facing pulp and paper operations in Atlantic Canada. This project, with total estimated costs of $3.7 million, will receive approximately $1.6 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

5) Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Brunswick (Fredericton)
Project: Development and Commercialization of Energy Conversion Technologies for Renewable Energy Systems
This project involves the development, demonstration, certification and commercialization of advanced power conversion technology. The current work builds on the success of an earlier AIF Round II project related to renewable energy. This project, with total estimated costs of $2.4 million, will receive approximately $1.4 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a four-year period.

6) Planetary and Space Science Centre, University of New Brunswick (Fredericton)
Project: Evaluation of Impact-resistant Materials for Aerospace and Defence Applications
This project will analyze how certain materials used in aerospace and defence behave when subjected to shock waves and extreme deformation from high speed impacts. New software will permit modelling and prediction of impact effects for these materials. This project, with total estimated costs of $8.3 million, will receive approximately $2.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five- year period.

7) Centre of Aquatic Health Sciences, Atlantic Veterinary College (Charlottetown, PEI and locations in the other Atlantic Provinces)
Project: Healthy Fish, Healthy Environment, Healthy Food
This project will research and develop ways to reduce infection and disease in salmon aquaculture in the Atlantic region, thereby improving fish health management practices and reducing fish losses across the industry. This project, with total estimated costs of $5.5 million, will receive approximately $2.5 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.