Plans unveiled for research facility in Prince Edward Island

Charlottetown, PEI July 25, 2003 A new research facility, which will include a new NRC Institute for Nutrisciences and Health, is being built at the University of Prince Edward Island. The federal government, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and NRC, will provide a total of C$28 million over the next five years to help construct the new facility and to establish the new research institute in Charlottetown. The provincial government is contributing $3.5 million.

The announcement was made this week by Allan Rock, minister of industry and minister responsible for the National Research Council, Wayne Easter, solicitor general of Canada, and Pat Binns, premier of Prince Edward Island.

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is contributing $8 million to the University of PEI for the construction of a new building on the UPEI campus in Charlottetown that will house state-of-the-art research laboratories and industrial incubation space, including the NRC institute. NRC will invest up to $20 million over the next five years in staff, equipment, and research projects to establish the NRC Institute for Nutrisciences and Health (NRC-INH) within the new facility.

“This announcement marks the beginning of a new era of innovation for PEI and bolsters NRC’s role as a truly national organization,” said Allan Rock. “With this first institute in PEI, we are helping to add a special dimension to research and innovation in the province, and ensuring that Canada continues to be on the leading-edge of new discoveries and technologies to improve human and animal health.”

The plan for the new facility and the NRC institute was established through extensive consultations on technology cluster development with significant support from the province, the university, and local industry. Owned by the university, the new building is intended to provide space for teams of highly skilled research professionals from the university, industry and NRC.

A nationally mandated institute, NRC-INH will build upon existing PEI strengths in basic and health-related research with a focus on understanding how naturally occurring products can benefit human and animal health.

“NRC-INH researchers will form multidisciplinary teams that link to NRC institutes across Canada as well as existing local research programs at UPEI and the Atlantic Veterinary College and innovation resources in other government agencies and the private sector,” said Dr Arthur Carty, NRC President. “These resources and the vision for NRC-INH will form a cornerstone of a PEI technology cluster.”