Rimouski, Quebec, May 17, 2010 – The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, today announced that the University of Quebec at Rimouski (UQAR) and its marine sciences institute, the Institut des sciences de la mer (ISMER) will receive a non-repayable contribution of $3,648,690. This support will enable UQAR and ISMER to acquire specialized equipment to help boost their research capabilities and strengthen their leadership role within the fields of marine science and technology, marine geology, environmental chemistry, wind energy, signal processing and telecommunications. This project will result in an overall investment of $4,054,100 and the creation of six skilled jobs.
The funding from Canada Economic Development has been awarded through the Business and Regional Growth program, which aims to foster the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through innovation and the adoption of advanced technology.
"In the context of the internationalization of R-D, cutting-edge equipment and competitiveness poles that bring businesses and research centres together are major assets in building a strong, innovative economy. That is why the Government of Canada is proud to lend its support to UQAR's and ISMER's initiative, the benefits of which are extremely promising. Indeed, in the coming years, this initiative is expected to pave the way for 75 research projects with partners, including some 15 SMEs, and help develop 15 new products or processes in sectors that offer significant economic development potential for the Bas-Saint-Laurent region," explained the Minister of State.
Most of the equipment, including some that are the only ones of their kind in Quebec, will be installed in UQAR's support centre for innovation through research, the Centre d'appui à l'innovation par la recherche (CAIR), where it will be made available to numerous SMEs and research facilities in the region. By offering businesses leading-edge services and valuable multidisciplinary expertise, CAIR will be able to increase technology transfers to them. Other equipment will be housed at ISMER and on the research vessel Coriolis.
This new equipment allowing for in-depth, highly accurate research will enable the Bas-Saint-Laurent region to accelerate the development of promising priority sectors. Lastly, this project will increase the international reputation of UQAR and ISMER as well as the profile of the region as a marine science and technology growth pole.
In Canada's Economic Action Plan, the federal government included various measures to bolster Canada's world-leading research and advanced training facilities and help build an innovative economy. Among these measures is the $2 billion Knowledge Infrastructure Program to support college and university infrastructure projects.
For further information on Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
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Sources:
Claudie Lamontagne
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 418-722-3280 or 1-800-463-9073
E-mail: claudie.lamontagne@dec-ced.gc.ca
Simon Bachand
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 613-996-6236
E-mail: simon.bachand@dec-ced.gc.ca
