Albertans won't need a microscope to see the province's growing nanotechnology industry sector thanks to new business and technical services provider the Alberta Centre for Advanced MNT (Microsystems and Nanotechnology) Products (ACAMP). ACAMP is supported by $11.5 million in total funding with contributions of $8 million from Alberta Advanced Education and Technology and $3.5 million from Western Economic Diversification Canada.
ACAMP's goal is to build world-class capability in Alberta for the packaging and assembly of micro- and nano-scale technology devices, turning them into market-ready commercial or industrial products and applications. ACAMP provides support in three critical areas of commercialization - marketing, product development, and packaging and assembly. Services provided by ACAMP will be available to researchers, small start-up companies, and established firms on a fee basis.
"ACAMP will help shorten the path to commercialization for innovative Alberta products in our growing nanotechnology-enabled industry," said Doug Horner, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. "It will play a critical role linking technology-entrepreneurs, or "technopreneurs," to our province's investments in nanotechnology infrastructure. And, with Ken Brizel as CEO, ACAMP has its own in-house technopreneur leading the way."
"The launch of ACAMP helps position Western Canada at the forefront of innovation and is an important milestone in Alberta's growing capacity for science and technology commercialization," said the Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification. "In concordance with the Canada's Science and Technology Strategy, Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage, our government is proud to contribute $3.5 million, through its Western Diversification Program, to help Alberta become a centre for nanotechnology development and production."
"Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology present new ways to solve problems, based upon the use of micro and nano scale components in a variety of markets," said Ken Brizel, CEO of ACAMP. "ACAMP will enable industry and academia to collaborate throughout Alberta building a commercialization capability for these platform technologies."
Ken Brizel has more than 20 years experience in managing high technology organizations and product development. He most recently served as CEO of LightPath Technologies. Prior to this, he was a senior vice president at Oplink Communications and was Director of Strategic marketing for AT&T/Lucent Microelectronics. Mr. Brizel holds a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering and was awarded the David Sarnoff Award Gold Medallion for Outstanding Technical Achievement.
ACAMP will identify commercial market opportunities in global markets and promote Alberta's impressive nanotechnology capabilities nationally and internationally. An ACAMP team will work with clients to coordinate product packaging and assembly through NanoFab at the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary's Advanced Microsystems Integration Facility, the National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT), and the Microsystems Technology Research Initiative.
"ACAMP is the result of a collaborative effort between industry, government and academia to create a platform for product development activities in the province," said Bruce Alton, Chairman of the ACAMP Board of Directors. "And we are very pleased to have obtained the services of Ken Brizel as the first CEO of ACAMP."
On June 11, 2007, the Alberta government introduced Alberta's Action Plan for Bringing Technology to Market. This $178-million strategy includes numerous resources that companies and technopreneurs can access to help move ideas into the marketplace in concert with ACAMP's services. Alberta aims to capture two per cent of the world's nanotechnology market equaling $20 billion in annual revenues by the year 2020.
For more information, contact:
Pierre Floréa
Director of Communications
Office of the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Phone: 613-943-1838
Earl McKenzie
Public Affairs Officer
Advanced Education and Technology
Phone: 780-415-0891
E-mail: earl.mckenzie@gov.ab.ca
