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reports and analyses of the forces driving science and technology investment in Canada
editor: Mark Henderson How it looks to me.... by Mark Henderson FEATURE REPORTS | RESEARCH BRIEFS How it looks to me.... by Mark Henderson, editor, RE$EARCH MONEY Science and technology has come of age -- at least in the eyes of the government which has finally picked up on the myriad of signals floating through the academic, business and research communities. In fact it has seized upon the importance of research to the future prosperity of the nation and placed it front and centre in its Throne Speech, which opened Parliament last month. Why it took so long for S&T to make it onto the Liberal radar screen is anyone's guess (unless one chooses to be cynical) but its arrival and subsequent elevation to the status of a miracle cure-all is cause for both celebration and caution. Celebration because the pressing financial needs of the research community may finally be addressed and satisfied. Caution due to the government's intention to take a supportive, but backseat role in Canada's evolution into a knowledge-based society. Continuing cutbacks in the government's S&T effort are threatening to undermine its traditional -- and valuable -- role of guiding that evolution to ensure that its benefits are widely and equitably disbursed. The business sector by definition is typically responsible more to shareholder concerns than those of the nation. There are indications that a shift is occurring. But until the private sector demonstrates that it can also accommodate the needs of all Canada, government can still play a role, especially when it comes to technology.
FEATURE REPORTS...
NRC'S BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE ALIGNS SCIENCE AND SERVICES TO MATCH CAPABILITIES WITH NEW RESEARCH PARADIGM TWO QUEBEC VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS BRING SAN FRANCISCO-BASED BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANY TO MONTREAL
GEMINX SPUN OFF FROM MCGILL UNIV THRONE SPEECH AND INDUSTRY MINISTER'S REPLAY AUGUR WELL FOR INCREASED S&T SPENDING AS LIBERALS ENTER SECOND TERM
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND SURVEY SEEK PATTERNS
BIOVAIL APPLIES TECHNOLOGY TO GENERIC
CHROMOS MOLECULAR SYSTEMS STEAMING AHEAD
RESEARCH BRIEFS
CFI and CANARIE form committee to plan joint strategy A joint initiative has been launched by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry and Education (CANARIE) to coordinate their mandates and activities as the CFI prepares to accept applications for funding. A steering committee will hold five regional workshops in the coming months to explore issues of common interest and develop recommendations. Among the objectives of the initiative is to develop criteria and procedures for determining which telecommunications projects should be considered for CFI funding, and how distinctions can be made for projects involving more than just research (R$, August 20/97). The committee aims to establish common approaches for upgrading campus networks and to decide how the CFI should address the need for high performance computing facilities....
SR Telecom to conduct joint R&D with Matsushita SR Telecom Inc has signed a joint R&D and marketing agreement with Japan's Matsushita Communication Industrial Co Ltd to ensure its products interface with wireless technologies. The pact will give St Laurent PQ-based SR Telecom access to PHS-based wireless local loop products as an extension of its point-to-multipoint TDMA networks....
ViaTech service launches in Montreal Royal Bank of Canada (RBOC) has joined with four other firms and Univ of Montreal's industrial liaison office to launch another ViaTech technology viability network in the Montreal region. The professional counselling service offers advice on venture capital, accounting, legal taxation, new product development and marketing issues. Geared towards small, early-stage firms, ViaTech operations have been set up in London ON (R$, May 29/96) and Mississauga (R$, April 16/97). FMI, contact Tony Simiele, Knowledge-Based Industries, RBOC, at (514)874-5275....
Univ of Montreal completes successful $23M fundraiser The Univ of Quebec at Montreal has completed a five-year, $23-million fund-raising campaign with $8.9 million to be directed towards projects in information technologies, including micro-computing laboratories for 3-D animation and applications. The largest donation ($1.9 million) was received from the JA DeSéve Estate, which will be used to expand access teacher/student to technology. Mouvement Desjardins donated $1 million, earmarked for two documentation training centres. Cash and equipment were provided by several firms including Ericsson Communications Inc, Teleglobe Inc, IBM Canada Ltd, CAE Electronics Ltd and Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Ltd. Funds will also be used to create or re-subsidize nine chairs including those in communications and technology management. The campaign was chaired by Teleglobe CEO Charles Sirois....
CAVI injects $2 million into Med-Eng Systems Capital Alliance Ventures Inc has invested $2 million in Med-Eng Systems Inc, a developer of protective equipment for bomb disposal and landmine clearance. The suit and helmet system was developed in cooperation with the RCMP and Canadian Armed Forces. The funds will be used to further develop and market the equipment....
Sofinov invests $7.5M in firm with meter reading technology Sofinov, Société financiére d'innovation, has invested $7.5 million in Nertec Design Inc, a developer of system for remote reading of utility meters. The funding will be used to conduct additional R&D and expand US marketing efforts. Nertec technology can be applied to both residential and commercial sectors and uses available communications infrastructures such as cellular telephony and telephone lines. Nertec is developing a hybrid transmission technology incorporating radio frequencies and power lines....
World Heart to collaborate with Cleveland Clinic Foundation World Heart Corp will collaborate with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation to develop another version of its HeartSaver implantable ventricular assist device (VAD). Research leading up to clinical trials will be conducted by the Foundation -- a non-profit academic group practice -- and the cardiovascular devices division of the Univ of Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corp. Version six of the device is being finalized and prototyped for formal in vivo and in vitro studies with submission for Canadian regulatory approval slated for 1999....
DiagnoCure boosts R&D outlays and moves towards marketplace Research and development outlays by DiagnoCure Inc have more than tripled to $1.9 million during the nine-month period ending July 31 as the Quebec City-based firm strengthens its R&D group and reinforces its intellectual property protection while working to commercialize its first product. The ImmunoCyt is a non-invasive test for the early detection of bladder cancers. DiagnoCure also concluded a licensing agreement with Akzo Nobel subsidiary Organon Teknika of Belgium for technology to develop molecular oncology tests....
Micrologix seeks strategic partnership through Lehman Bros Vancouver-based Micrologix Biotech Inc has engaged Lehman Brothers Inc to provide assistance and advice for strategic development. The New York-based equity and fixed-income underwriter has assigned its vice chairman, Frederick Frank, to work with Micrologix in securing partnership agreements with large pharmaceutical firms and licensing deals for its technologies and products. Micrologix is developing anti-infective compounds that address antibiotic resistance, leveraging its expertise in the molecular basis for microbial infections....
Kinetek receives $9.5 million in syndicate financing Kinetek Pharmaceuticals Inc has received $9.5 million in syndicate financing to provide equity for its drug discovery programs. The financing is led by the Technology Investment Program, a $60-million program financed by the Bank of Montreal Capital Corp and managed by Ventures West Management Inc (R$, January 24/96). Also participating are the Royal Bank Capital Corp and the BC Working Opportunity Fund. Kinetek has a broad technology platform which the Vancouver-based firm is exploiting to target protein kinases and enzymes that are the core building blocks of signalling pathways. Defective signalling through protein kinases appear to be the cause of several diseases including cancer, diabetes, inflammation and cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders....
Newbridge announces major expansion in British Columbia Newbridge Networks Corp is embarking upon a major expansion of British Columbia presence with the announcement of a 13,000-sq-m facility in Burnaby. The new structure will accommodate Newbridge research, marketing and sales activities, as well as those of its BC-based affiliates -- Castleton Networks Corp and Starvision Multimedia Corp. The three operations currently employ 300. Also using the building to expand their Asia-Pacific customer base will be Newbridge affiliates CrossKeys Systems Corp and Vienna Systems Corp. Earlier this year, Newbridge acquired the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) intellectual property of the now-defunct MPR Teltech Ltd....
Astra AB to fund Phase III clinical trials for Allelix compound Astra AB will pay Allelix Biopharmaceuticals Inc $17 million to move the latter's PTH - recombinant human parathyroid hormone into Phase II clinical trials, based on Phase II trials recently completed by Allelix in Canada and the US. The drug is the first of a new class being developed to regrow new bone in women suffering from osteoporosis. The funding includes the cost of commercial development, the Phase III trials and reimbursement of certain Phase II costs....
Visible Genetics introduces HIV genotyping product line Visible Genetics Inc (VBI) has introduced a new research product line for sequence-based genotyping of HIV. The kits employs the Toronto-based firm's single-tube DNA sequencing method to detect drug resistant mutations of reverse transcriptase and protease regions of HIV. Genotyping may make it possible to treat patients by selecting drugs to which the HIV virus has not yet developed resistance. VBI will conduct beta testing on the HIV TrueGene kits, its new Clipper genotyping engine and HIV Library over the next six months, with commercial production slated for mid 1998....
Zi Corp signs licensing agreement with Advanced RISC Machines Calgary-based Zi Corp has signed a marketing, distribution and sub-licence agreement with Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) for its Zi Input technology, allowing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to provide a Chinese language user interface which is scalable for a wide range of products. ARM, in turn, designs and licenses technology to semiconductor and software partners focusing on applications, design and manufacturing. The agreement follows Zi's embedded technology strategy of disseminating its technology via licensees and sub-licensees. The company's goal is to better connect technology to Chinese character-based languages....
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