Organization: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Innovation Conversations: Q&A with Nobina Robinson

Nobina Robinson retires from her position of Chief Executive Officer at Polytechnics Canada this month after nine years in that role. In those years, Robinson has been recognized by her colleagues for bringing attention to the important role polytechnics and colleges play in Canada’s innovation ecosystem, particularly applied research and commercialization. She shares her thoughts with RE$EARCH MONEY about the legacy she leaves behind and what’s next for the sector.

Wine industry from coast to coast gets federal funds

The Canadian Grapevine Certification Network (CGCN) will receive up to $8.4 million from the federal government’s Canadian Agricultural Partnership program to develop a national research cluster for the wine and grape industry. With $3.7 million additional from industry contributions, the fund is expected to assist growers produce improved output, test new crops, and explore growing…

$25M in federal funding available to provinces, territories for clean tech

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada recently launched a $25-million, three-year program that aims to fund provinces and territories for clean technology projects that are expected to run from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2021. Under the Agriculture Clean Technology (ACT) Program, the federal government will provide non-repayable contributions for projects that will help the agricultural…

Feds announce $155 million to help natural resources sector address climate change

The federal government has announced a $155-million program to help the natural resources sectors address climate change by developing and deploying clean technologies that will lower their notoriously high greenhouse gas emissions. The funding under the new Clean Growth Program (CGP) is aimed at the energy, mining and forestry sectors for pre-commercial projects between technology readiness levels 3 to 9.

Dr Marc Fortin

Dr Marc Fortin has been appointed VP research partnerships at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), replacing Dr Bettina Hamelin who left the position in June to become president and CEO of Ontario Genomics. Fortin comes to NSERC from the Department of National Defence, where he held the dual roles of ADM S&T…

Is Canada’s Innovation Budget ambitious enough?

Opinion is decidedly split on the federal government’s delivery of its promised innovation Budget. The March 22 budgetary planning document contains a wide range of measures related to skills, company financing, program consolidation and clean technology.