Innovate BC has awarded $944,600 through its Ignite program.
“Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 Ignite Awards. The hard work and innovation that goes into these projects has the potential to make a real difference in the lives of the people,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology. “The Ignite awards are crucial because they foster research and collaboration that help advance the natural resource and applied sciences sectors in BC, which help to grow our strong provincial economy.”
The Ignite program provides funding to research projects to assist with commercialization. The projects cover a range of industries, including cleantech, transportation, agriculture, and biotech.
A total of $3 million is being contributed to the four projects with Innovate BC’s Ignite cost-shared funding model. Innovate BC Ignite requires applicants to leverage award funds at a ratio of two matching dollars to every Innovate BC Ignite dollar. The Ignite Program is funded by the Natural Resources and Applied Sciences (NRAS) Endowment Fund.
More than $14 million, including leveraged funds, has been contributed to Ignite projects to date.
The companies include:
Dr. Stephen Holdcroft, SFU (awarded $300,000): working with SFU Chemistry spin-off venture Ionomr Innovations to develop an anion exchange membrane. The project is targeting the energy industry and wastewater treatment.
Dr. Majid Bahrami, SFU (awarded $300,000): working with Delta-Q Technologies and Terella Energy Systems to optimize the next-generation of cooling solutions for high-capacity battery chargers in electric vehicles. The project uses graphite sheets to enhance thermal performance and decrease electromagnetic interference, making notable contributions to the advanced materials manufacturing and electric vehicle industries.
Dr. Juli Carillo, UBC and Dr. Zamir Punja, SFU (awarded $241,500): the team is working with Terramera, a Vancouver-based plant intelligence company, on a safer generation of plant-based pesticides derived from Neem and Karanja oils.
Dr. Jack Saddler, UBC (awarded $103,100): working with performance biofilaments to incorporate nanocellulose products derived from wood pulp into high-tech, lightweight, composite thermoplastics for the automotive manufacturing and sporting goods markets. The wood cellulose will establish new markets and push the development of exceptional, new nanocellulose materials at commercially viable prices, while reducing the amount of plastics used around the world.
