Peter Braid, Member of Parliament, Kitchener-Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
March 5, 2015
Check against delivery
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, friends and guests.
Thank you all for joining us. Thank you to the representatives of Intellijoint for your warm reception this morning.
It is a pleasure to be here today in the presence of innovative companies to deliver some great news on behalf our Government.
As Member of Parliament for Kitchener–Waterloo, it gives me the great honour to represent the interests of this region in Ottawa.
I'm proud to say that under the strong and serious leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada has emerged from the economic recession with one of the best job creation records in the G7.
We are one of the world leaders in economic growth and we have been recognized globally as one of the best environments for investment.
Not only is our Government setting the right macro-economic conditions for businesses to grow and prosper, we are also making life more affordable for Canadian families.
With our recent Family Tax Cut initiative, Canadians now have more money in their pockets to spend on priorities such as their families.
As Prime Minister Harper stated, "Our Government is fulfilling its promise to balance the federal budget and we are now in a position to help families budget theirs."
The same sentiments extend to our focus on economic growth. We remain dedicated to providing the right resources to individuals and businesses in this region to create jobs, stay competitive, and prosper long-term.
The Waterloo Region is rich in technology and innovation. We have Canada's Technology Triangle, Communitech and the Waterloo Accelerator Centre, to name a few. And we have three highly regarded post-secondary institutions.
The growth of technology-oriented companies in this region is exciting, but we know we can do more to drive innovation in Canada.
This brings me to why we are all here today.
Our Government is proud to stand behind innovative organizations like Auvik, Dejero and Intellijoint Surgical.
Intellijoint Surgical's Intellijoint HIP™ technology has been used in hundreds of surgeries in Canada. Now they are expanding into new markets. In fact, in September of last year, Massena Memorial Hospital in New York became the first hospital in the United States to use the technology.
Dejero has been creating innovative tools to simplify digital storytelling and reporting from remote locations. The company's wireless products are changing the way broadcasters in the field deliver live, breaking news to viewers. When we all watched the Winter Olympics in Sochi, some of the footage we saw relied on Dejero's technology!
Auvik Network is dramatically reducing the complexity of managing IT networks.
Today I'm pleased to announce a total of $1,775,000 for these three companies.
FedDev Ontario is providing Auvik Networks with up to $950,000 to market its initial software subscription offering, called SEE and to commercialize and market its next two subscription offerings called TELL and DO. Auvik Networks' software makes it easier for small- and medium-sized businesses to manage their IT networks.
We are providing Dejero with up to $275,000 to complete the development and commercialization of its wireless broadcast solution that transmits live video, captured from virtually anywhere, with cameras, smartphones and tablets.
And finally, Intellijoint Surgical will be receiving up to $550,000 to commercialize and bring to market its second generation smart tool for hip replacement that will assist orthopaedic surgeons in the proper selection and alignment of implants during surgery.
(pause for applause)
Getting Canadian ideas and products to markets around the world helps keep and create new jobs right here at home.
So, I am pleased to note that these projects are expected to create 55 new full-time skilled positions during the projects.
Congratulations again. I look forward to seeing what new innovative products and ideas are going to come out of the Waterloo region in the years to come.
