ACOA announces $9.8 million investment in Springboard

Minister Gudie Hutchings visits Springboard and tours businesses

Atlantic Canada is home to 19 post-secondary institutions, full of students and researchers doing cutting-edge work and entrepreneurs with startup ideas. The region’s success depends on their success.

To secure Atlantic Canada’s competitive edge, we must support these problem solvers and make sure they reach their full potential. That’s why Budget 2024 proposes to invest heavily in cutting-edge research – to create more good jobs, including in innovation and technology.

Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, announced a contribution of over $9.8 million to help Springboard Atlantic and its partners bring researchers and industry together, and take homegrown, world-class ideas to market. Springboard’s 19 member institutions are contributing an additional $5.2 million.

Minister Hutchings was joined by Andy Fillmore, Member of Parliament for Halifax. Before the announcement, Minister Hutchings and Mr. Fillmore toured NovaResp Technologies and 3DBioFibR to learn more about these companies and their connection to Springboard Atlantic.

Springboard Atlantic is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. It exists to drive growth in key sectors, including advanced manufacturing, ocean sustainability and clean energy. For examples of how Springboard Atlantic and its network are helping these sectors, please see the backgrounder.

Today’s announcement further demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to ensuring Atlantic Canadian businesses can access and benefit from research developed in the region’s world-class learning institutions, so they can compete in a global economy and accelerate the region’s economic momentum.

Atlantic Canada’s Springboard for innovation

Collaboration among industry and post-secondary institutions in Atlantic Canada is creating growth opportunities throughout the region. That is why the Government of Canada is renewing its investment in Springboard Atlantic by contributing $9,802,563 through ACOA’s Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program to help Springboard Atlantic continue to bolster key industries across Atlantic Canada. Some of the sectors that have benefited from Springboard’s work include: 

Advanced Manufacturing   

Graphite Innovation and Technologies (GIT), located in Dartmouth, is a start-up that offers a full range of graphene-based, sustainable hull and propeller coatings that are EEXI compliant. As a leading sustainable coatings company, their biocide-free marine coatings help ship owners and operators reach optimal vessel performance while achieving sustainability goals. Springboard Atlantic helped GIT tap into the Mitacs Accelerate internship program through Dalhousie University’s Office of Commercialization and Industry Engagement and used this support to hire ten additional graduate students to advance their research. 
 

Ocean sustainability 

Dr. Michael Katz, working with Memorial University’s Technology Transfer and Commercialization Office, used funding from Springboard Atlantic’s Innovation Mobilization program to patent a technology to separate carbon dioxide from exhaust systems in the offshore oil and gas industry. Dr. Katz and his team also took part in the Lab2Market program which helped validate the concept, analyze their business model, and create strategic partnerships with key players in the sector.  

Clean Energy  

Yulin Hu is an assistant professor of engineering at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) who is conducting research on using potato peels to produce hydrogen fuel. The genesis of this research was a desire to both reduce food waste and identify new ways of producing clean energy. Springboard Atlantic’s Industry Engagement Professionals at UPEI connected Hu with AKA Energy Systems to hone this research, which is already delivering results, including a simulation published in the Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering proving the viability of the technology.  

Clean energy 

A partnership between the University of New Brunswick and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is strengthening collaboration on research and training between UNB’s Centre for Nuclear Energy Research (CNER) and CNL. The funding is helping upgrade key scientific equipment, improving CNL’s research capabilities for current and next-generation nuclear power generation. Springboard Atlantic played a key role in building this partnership, including supporting proof of concept development, patent, and legal considerations.