We also started the year with a newly refreshed website, which we continue to update with dynamic content about the people, resources, capabilities and successful engagements we enable with business partners across Niagara and beyond.
After a long construction period, our new research greenhouse was officially opened this year, in the same year that we became one of a handful of institutions in Canada to be home to three Technology Innovation Centres – the third, of course, being the Horticultural and Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre, which is the home of this new research greenhouse. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s investment of $1.75 million will enable five years of activity for HESIC.
Thanks to renewed support from the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program, more than 20 beverage businesses are receiving a boost in launching new products. The Canadian Beverage Innovation Program, delivered through NC’s Food and Beverage Innovation Centre (FBIC) and Business and Commercialization Innovation Centre (BCIC), is being supported by funding of up to $172,000.
These projects will keep things humming as beverage capacity grows at the Pilot Plant, which saw extension renovations this year.
For the first time in its 50+ year history, the Canadian Association of Research Administrators (CARA) has a college employee in its highest elected role. And that employee just happens to be from NC.
To celebrate our ongoing successes in bringing innovation solutions to businesses, we held two large showcase events this past year, both on the Daniel J Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. In May, we held an Industry Partner Showcase for the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI), through our Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) stream. The showcase highlighted businesses from Ontario who worked with SONAMI to protect their newly created intellectual property assets – a service enabled by IPON funding.
And just last month, we held our first Niagara Innovation Ecosystem Showcase, bringing together industry partners, community organizations, ecosystem agencies and funders from across the region, to share insights on collaborations and synergies amongst the attendees. Besides networking and discussing a new online tool to access all our services, those in attendance were also given the opportunity to tour all five NC Innovation Centres.
If you haven’t already, consider signing up to receive our newsletter and other e-communications throughout the year to keep up with the activities and achievements of our five Innovation Centres. Or check back to our website and social media channels on a regular basis.
Wishing you all a joyful and restful holiday season, filled with well-deserved moments of relaxation and reflection.
Here’s to even greater achievements in the year to come!
