Innovation centre with nanotechnology commercialization focus opens

Edmonton, AB – The NINT Innovation Centre, a part of the National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) of the National Research Council, has official opened. The centre rents space to start-up and existing companies or to industrial collaborators that will benefit from the close proximity to the high concentration of nanotechnology expertise at NINT and across the University of Alberta campus. Its objective is to help Canadian companies exploit the potential of nanotechnology and to foster the growth of an Edmonton-area cluster of companies that utilize nanotechnology.

The $5.7 million centre occupies the fourth floor of the NINT building and consists of 15 rental units of combined office and laboratory space. Current tenants include five companies and a research group from the NINT-XEROX Canada industrial research partnership.

“The Innovation Centre will build on the NRC’s long history of helping commercialize research. Having this centre as part of the first class facilities at our National Institute for Nanotechnology will support nanotechnology-based firms and contribute to Canada’s leadership in this emerging field,” said Dr Pierre Coulombe, president of the National Research Council (NRC).