The Canadian government announced that it is investing a total of $79.8 million into five health research hubs through the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program.
The government said that the Hamilton-based Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC) will receive $10.4 million over four years; Montreal’s Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer – Commercialization of Research will receive $25 million over five years; the Quebec Consortium for Industrial Research and Innovation in Medical Technology will receive $19.5 million over five years; Toronto’s Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine will receive $15 million over five years; and St. John’s Leading Operational Observations and Knowledge for the North will receive $9.9 million over five years.
“We are pleased to help these centres bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization to…create healthier communities in Canada.”
“Today we are investing in science for healthier communities,” said Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport. “The five research centres awarded today mobilize Canada’s best research, development and entrepreneurial talent to transform new discoveries into concrete products, services and processes to improve our lives. By matching clusters of research expertise with business leaders, these centres will help unleash the potential of Canadian innovation.”
The CPDC said it will use the funding to launch new manufacturing and training initiatives to expand its work in the radiopharmaceutical industry and develop innovative solutions to detect and treat diseases at an earlier stage.
“I would like to congratulate the successful applicants of the most recent CECR program competition,” said Jean Saint-Vil, associate vice president of the Networks of Centres of Excellence. “We are pleased to help these centres bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization to enable the sustainable development of natural resources in the North and create healthier communities in Canada. These connections, forged between clusters of research expertise and the business community, harness Canada’s best talent to provide industry-relevant technologies, products and services that will benefit us all.”
In June, the Canadian government announced the launch of its Collaborative Health Research Project (CHRP) competition, through which it will provide over $20 million to support 30 research teams across Canada that are working to address issues such as vision loss, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and cancer.
