Government of Canada recognizes Vecima Networks Inc. as a Canadian Innovation Leader
September 25, 2009 , Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Mr. Maurice Vellacott, Member of Parliament for Saskatoon-Wanuskewin, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), today recognized Vecima Networks Inc. as a Canadian Innovation Leader for developing high-tech solutions that improve broadband access to cable, wireless and telephony networks, linking scientific research to commercialization, jobs, and economic growth.
"Our government is investing more in science and technology because this is how to create jobs, strengthen the economy and improve the quality of life of Canadians," said Mr. Vellacott. "Canada's Economic Action Plan provides more than $5.1 billion toward science and technology initiatives. This represents one of the single-largest federal budget investments in S&T to date, contributing to the creation of a stronger, more innovative economy and a more prosperous Canada."
A Canadian Innovation Leader is a small- or medium-sized enterprise (SME) that demonstrates specific advances in research and development within its industrial sector. NRC created the Canadian Innovation Leader Certificate Program to recognize Canadian firms that have successfully developed and applied innovative technologies.
Vecima Networks' products incorporate embedded software - developed in-house - that meets the complex requirements of next-generation, high-speed digital networks. Service providers use Vecima's solutions to deliver services to a converging worldwide broadband market.
"Investing in science and technology is critical for developing highly skilled people and improving the long-term competitiveness of Canadian firms," said NRC President Dr. Pierre Coulombe. "That's why the NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) is helping innovative Canadian businesses such as Vecima Networks grow stronger, faster and larger."
The Saskatoon-based company's core expertise is radio frequency technology. Its products incorporate sophisticated software that is used for high-speed digital-signal processing, control and compensation functions in radio frequency circuits and for implementation of high-level digital modulation.
"NRC-IRAP is playing an important role in the success of this innovative company," said Dr. Hugh Wood, Chief Operating Officer of Vecima Networks. "The financial and technical support we receive from NRC-IRAP is helping Vecima Networks deliver high-tech solutions to its clients that improve broadband access to cable, wireless and telephony networks worldwide."
The Government of Canada's Economic Action Plan has provided new resources of $200 million over the next two years to increase NRC-IRAP's support for innovative Canadian firms. To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
Backgrounder
National Research Council Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)
NRC's main outreach to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is through its Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) which provides support to innovative companies in Canada undertaking research and technology development projects for commercial purposes.
NRC-IRAP provides a range of both technical and business-oriented advisory services along with necessary financial support to qualified innovative Canadian small- and medium-sized enterprises. The program is delivered by a field staff of 240 business and technology experts in more than 100 communities across Canada. Working directly with SMEs, NRC-IRAP supports innovative research and development (R&D) and helps companies become commercialization-ready with their new products and services.
While the program operates three separate contribution programs - contribution to firms, contribution to organizations and a Youth Employment Program - NRC-IRAP's main contribution component is in the form of a non-repayable contribution that reimburses the labour costs of a research and development project directly to firms.
Putting science to work for Canada
NRC-IRAP received an investment in Budget 2009 - Canada's Economic Action Plan - of $200 million over the next two years. NRC-IRAP is committed to using this new funding to help the Government build a competitive advantage for Canada based on excellence in science and technology (S&T).
The funding includes $170 million to double NRC-IRAP's contributions to firms and $30 million to help hire more than 1,000 new post-secondary graduates via its Youth Employment Program.
The budget commitment reinforces NRC-IRAP's mandate to help SMEs take knowledge from the lab to the marketplace. The budget commitment also broadens NRC-IRAP's ability to provide S&T expertise to SMEs. NRC-IRAP estimates this will enable it to provide larger contributions to firms per project and allow it to support approximately 1,400 additional SMEs beyond the annual base over the next two years.
Canadian Innovation Leader (CIL) Certificate
A Canadian Innovation Leader is a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) that demonstrated a specific advance in research and development within its industrial sector. This advance has contributed to the wealth of the country, either from a corporate growth perspective, job creation, or through a particular investment in research and development that has improved the lives of Canadians. NRC created the Canadian Innovation Leader (CIL) Certificate Program to recognize Canadian firms that have successfully developed and applied innovative technologies, linking scientific research to commercialization, jobs, and economic growth.
Saskatoon-based Vecima Networks Inc. develops high-tech solutions that improve broadband access to cable, wireless and telephony networks worldwide. It employs more than 700 employees, including 600 in manufacturing, 130 in research and development, and 30 more in sales and marketing.
Its computer hardware products incorporate embedded software - developed in-house - that meets the complex requirements of next-generation, high-speed digital networks. Service providers use Vecima Networks' solutions to deliver services to a converging worldwide broadband market, including what are commonly known in the industry as triple-play (voice, video and data) and quadruple-play (voice, video, data and wireless) services.
Vecima Networks' unique solutions allow service providers to rapidly and cost-effectively bridge the final network segment that connects a system directly to end-users - known in the industry as the last mile - by overcoming the bottleneck, resulting from insufficient carrying capacity in legacy last-mile infrastructures.
Since 2002, it has received technical and business expertise as well as financial contributions through NRC-IRAP totalling $370,000.
