New business software solutions, safer methods of hydrogen storage and new breeds of elite cod broodstock are just a few of the projects that will soon be underway in New Brunswick as a result of Government of Canada investments.

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), today announced that nine innovative research and development projects in New Brunswick will receive up to $21 million under ACOA’s Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF).

The Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs, released details of the projects today at the Wu Conference Centre, in Fredericton, on behalf of Minister MacKay. The selected projects will be led by private sector, university and community college partners, and have a total value of $52 million.

The announcement comes as part of a series of announcements today to release details on the 29 highly innovative research and development projects throughout Atlantic Canada receiving funding from the AIF.

“ACOA is making key investments in research and development – investments that support the economic future and competitiveness of Atlantic Canada,” said Minister MacKay. “It’s about finding new ways of doing things, creating new approaches, new products and services and bringing them to markets around the world. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting these kinds of projects that bring new knowledge, new jobs and new business opportunities to the Atlantic region.”

“The Government of Canada is supporting innovation that brings new economic opportunities for Atlantic Canada,” said Minister Thompson. “These investments support an impressive array of different projects, which will take our local expertise and turn it into world-class research and development to build our economy, increase trade and investment, and help retain our youth and attract new talent.”

Earlier today, Minister MacKay also announced the process for accepting proposals for the next round of projects to be funded under the Atlantic Innovation Fund. Mandatory letters of intent must be submitted to ACOA by May 10, 2006, and complete project proposals must be submitted by June 28, 2006. Detailed information is available on the ACOA website at: www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca.

ACOA’s Atlantic Innovation Fund is a Government of Canada initiative designed to build the economy of Atlantic Canada by increasing the region’s capacity to carry out leading- edge R&D that contributes directly to the development of new technology-based economic activity. The objective of the Fund is to increase R&D carried out in Atlantic Canadian research facilities, which will lead to the launch of new ideas, products, processes and services.

The AIF projects announced today in New Bruswick include:

Exigen (Canada), Inc.

Business Domain Ontology Development Framework

Create new development tools for effective IT services

Exigen (Canada), Inc. provides business process management software and services to the financial, insurance, government and communication industries. The project will produce a software development tool to assist business in better understanding requirements of end users, and to develop solutions in a more effective manner. The project, with total costs estimated at over $3.6 million, will receive up to $1.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a three-year period.

HSM Systems, Inc.

Develop Novel Hydrogen Storage Media / Products

Creating safe, effective, lower-cost methods for storing hydrogen

HSM Systems, Inc. researches, develops and commercializes novel hydrogen storage media. In partnership with the University of New Brunswick, it has identified several promising candidates for novel hydrogen storage materials and a new means of reprocessing established storage media. These developments will result in safer and cheaper ways to store and ship hydrogen for industrial users. This project, with total estimated costs of over $3 million, will receive up to $2.2 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over an 18-month period.

Genome Atlantic

Atlantic Cod Genomics and Broodstock Development Project

Genomics research to develop new breeds of elite cod broodstock for use in aquaculture

Genome Atlantic conducts R&D of genomics and proteomics in Atlantic Canada. The project is led by the Huntsman Marine Science Centre and Genome Atlantic. It will combine selective breeding with genomics and fish biology to identify elite cod broodstock for use in aquaculture. The project, with total costs estimated at over $18 million, will receive up to $3.1 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

Mathis Instruments Ltd.

Pharmaceutical Solutions Using Enhanced and New Sensor Technology

New non-contact testing sensors for testing and monitoring pharmaceuticals

Mathis Instruments Ltd. develops thermal analysis instruments for manufacturing sectors, with an emphasis on pharmaceutical manufacturers. The project consists of enhancing existing – and creating new – effusivity sensors for manufacturing processes. This project, with total estimated costs of over $5.6 million, will receive up to $3 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a three-year period.

Université de Moncton

SynergiC3 e-learning productivity enhancement framework

Creation of e-learning solutions to decrease production times and lower costs

The Groupe des technologies de l'apprentissage (GTA) develops and implements e-learning solutions at the Université de Moncton. GTA, in partnership with Desire2Learn and the National Research Council, will develop a software suite called SynergiC3. This technology will significantly decrease production times and costs in developing e-learning content. With total estimated project costs of over $5.5 million, the project will receive up to $2.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a four- year period.

University of New Brunswick

Advanced Processes for Infrastructure Asset Management System

Developing new software for better infrastructure planning

The University of New Brunswick’s D. C. Campbell Chair in Highway and Pavement Research develops and promotes sustainable solutions for issues facing Canada’s road building industry. This project will develop specialized software that will link individual infrastructure management systems together, in order to facilitate high level, long-term planning and resource forecasting. This project, with total estimated costs of over $4 million, will receive up to $2.5 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over four to five years.

University of New Brunswick

Innovative Mechanical and Chemi-Mechanical Pulping Technologies for Value-Added Pulp and Paper Products

New technologies to produce high-quality papers and reduce costs to produce pulp and paper

UNB’s Limerick Pulp and Paper Centre is the only pulp and paper research centre in Atlantic Canada. The project will develop innovative technologies to increase the use of mechanical pulp as a substitute for more expensive and less environmentally friendly kraft pulp in many paper grades. It will also focus on transforming existing newsprint production lines into paper lines for highly value-added specialty paper products. The project, with a total cost of over $2.6 million, will receive $1.5 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

University of New Brunswick

Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture

Improved productivity and increased environmental sustainability for aquaculture sites

This project will be led by the new Institute for Coastal Marine Science, created by the University of New Brunswick, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. It will develop a process to combine the cultivation of finfish and shellfish (which filter organic waste particles) with seaweeds (which absorb dissolved inorganic nutrients) at the same site. This project, with total costs of over $7 million, will receive up to $2.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

University of New Brunswick

Innovative Anaerobic Digester System for Waste Treatment and Bioenergy Production

Creation of a new, more efficient process for treating wastewater and generating bio-energy

The Department of Civil Engineering at UNB and ADI Systems, a private sector partner with international expertise in wastewater treatment technologies, will develop and market a new anaerobic digester to treat high strength biodegradable wastewater and liquid slurries. The new bioreactor will generate bio-energy while treating wastewater more efficiently. The project, with total costs estimated at almost $2 million, will receive up to $1 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

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Comprehensive backgrounders on the New Brunswick projects announced today are attached. These and information on other projects announced today will be available on ACOA’s website at 12:00 p.m. (AST): www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:


Peta Fussell
Senior Communications Officer 
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (NB Office)
(506) 451-2677

Liette Lavallée
Senior Communications Officer
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (Head Office)
Office: (506) 851-3142
Cell: (506) 874-6994

Business Domain Ontology Development Framework
Exigen (Canada), Inc.

Located in Saint John, New Brunswick, Exigen (Canada), Inc. is a provider of business process management software and services to the financial, insurance, government and communication industries.

Exigen provides systems transformation, outsourcing services, maintenance, and legacy systems transformation. The company identifies inefficiencies in core business processes and recommends solutions that streamline operations.

The software development process in a corporation involves the transition from abstract business requirements into concrete development activities. This process requires different resources and skills at various stages. The communication of large amounts of information leads to one of the greatest risks in software development process – miscommunication of requirements.

The objective of this project is to develop a software development tool that will assist business to better understand the requirements of end users and to develop solutions in a more effective manner.

This leading edge technology will help extract information requirements from existing resources and structure the information in a manner that will effectively speed up the software development process. The market demand for improved software engineering is increasing, and this project has great potential for an innovative contribution in that sector.

Through collaboration with the University of New Brunswick and the National Research Council Institute for Information Technology, this project will strengthen the region’s innovation capacity by supporting strong partnerships between the private sector, universities and research institutions.

This project, with total estimated costs of over $3.6 million, will receive up to $1.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a three-year period.

Contact information:
Mr. John Munro
General Manager
Exigen (Canada), Inc.
Saint John, New Brunswick
Tel.: (506) 674-4001

Atlantic Cod Genomics and Broodstock Development Project Genome Atlantic

Genome Atlantic is a not-for-profit corporation promoting development of genomics and proteomic research that delivers economic, social and environmental benefits to Atlantic Canada.

One of six Genome Centres created in Canada to promote world leadership in genomics and proteomics research, Genome Atlantic works with industry, university, government and not-for-profit organizations to conduct large-scale research projects of socio-economic importance to the four Atlantic provinces.

Aquaculture is one of the world’s fastest growing sectors. Globally, cod aquaculture is in early development and relies primarily on wild populations for broodstock. However, the industry recognizes that “elite” broodstock selection is essential to producing cod that perform well under aquaculture conditions.

The Atlantic Cod Genomics and Broodstock Development Project (CGP) is led by the Huntsman Marine Science Centre and The Atlantic Genome Centre (TAGC), with partners in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. It will identify and select elite cod broodstock for use in Canadian aquaculture through the combination of selective breeding, genomics and fish biology. Industry partners in this project include Cooke Aquaculture Inc. and Northern Cod Ventures Limited.

Family-based breeding programs for Atlantic cod will be established and economically important commercial traits (such as growth, fish health, stress tolerance, product quality and yield) will be measured and analyzed for use in the selective breeding program. Genomic markers and an index of total genetic merit will be produced to identify elite broodstock fish which will be used by the industry partners in commercial production.

As a result of this project, industry partners will be provided with a global competitive advantage in the farming of cod that will strengthen rural economies in Atlantic Canada. The project will also augment local expertise and research facilities, and will enable Atlantic Canada to retain its global reputation as a leader in genomics and aquaculture science and attract international alliances.

This project, with total costs of over $18 million, will receive up to $3.1million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period and was awarded $6.25 million from Genome Canada. The remainder of the funding will be provided by project partners, and Provincial Governments of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia.

For more information contact:
Jill Murrin
Director of Communications
Genome Atlantic
(902) 421-5683
Email: jmurrin@genomeatlantic.ca

Develop Novel Hydrogen Storage Media / Products
HSM Systems, Inc.

HSM Systems, Inc. (HSMI) researches, develops and commercializes novel hydrogen storage media. The potential applications of these media include storage, control of stored gases, and a means of connecting the stored hydrogen to multiple hydrogen use technologies including fuel cells.

Hydrogen is an important chemical ingredient for many industrial processes. Industrial uses include diverse products such as fats and oils, specialty chemicals, metals, and glass and power utilities. The costs associated with distribution and delivery of hydrogen are high for the users, a factor which is a barrier for the use of hydrogen for the energy and transportation sectors. Users are seeking a cost-effective and safer supply option for their hydrogen inputs.

In partnership with the University of New Brunswick (UNB), HSMI has identified several promising candidates for novel hydrogen storage materials and a new means of reprocessing established storage media. The research plan will develop a hydrogen storage media that fulfills the essential criteria as established by the United States Department of Energy.

While there is significant research under way to capitalize on fuel cell technology opportunities, HSMI intends to concentrate its initial efforts on the packaging of hydrogen within the merchant segment. Product development will focus on hydrogen storage packaging developed specifically for niche markets. Current means of storing and shipping hydrogen are inconvenient and can be dangerous. The low pressure and rectangular shape of the containers being developed will result in a more robust design that is safer and cheaper to handle and ship.

This project, with total estimated costs of over $3 million, will receive up to $2.2 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over an 18-month period.

Contact information:
Mr. Christopher Willson
President
HSM Systems, Inc.
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Tel.: (506) 452-8722

Pharmaceutical Solutions Using Enhanced and New Sensor Technology
Mathis Instruments Ltd.

Mathis Instruments Ltd. (Mathis) in Fredericton employs 20 people and is owned by a combination of Canadian institutional and private investors. The company develops thermal analysis instruments to measure thermal conductivity, thermal effusivity, consistency, homogeneity and abnormalities. Mathis technologies can be used in many manufacturing sectors, with an emphasis on pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The project consists of:

1. enhancing the existing contact-based Effusivity Sensor Package (ESP) by improving its communication, robustness, speed and cooling systems; and
2. creating a new non-contact based effusivity sensor.

These new sensor capabilities will allow Mathis to further penetrate the pharmaceutical industry with respect to on-line processes, analytical monitoring and control systems. It will also allow the company to establish market opportunities in non-pharma industries, such as cosmetics.

The use of non-contact sensors in the manufacturing process is in keeping with major trends in manufacturing. Mathis, through this R&D project, is positioning itself strategically to play a key role in the manufacturing industry.

This project will build on existing expertise and form collaborations with major industrial partners, who will help with the commercialization of the resulting products. The research is expected to lead to other contracts and manufacturing opportunities in Atlantic Canada.

ACOA previously contributed $2 million through the Atlantic Innovation Fund to develop the ESP Sensor; it was launched in 2005 and is currently generating significant sales in the pharmaceutical market.

This project, with total estimated project costs of over $5.6 million, will receive up to $3 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a three-year period.

Contact information:
Mr. Peter Voss, CA
Director of Finance, Secretary and Treasurer
Mathis Instruments Ltd.
Tel: (506) 462-7213
Fax: (506) 462-7210

SynergiC³ e-learning productivity enhancement framework
Université de Moncton (New Brunswick)

The Groupe des technologies de l'apprentissage (Learning Technologies Group or GTA) develops and implements e-learning solutions at the Université de Moncton. The GTA currently employs 18 professionals including instructional designers, pedagogical project managers, graphic artists, 2D and 3D programmers, audio and video specialists, photographers, webmasters and specialists in networks and communications.

The Group will further develop SynergiC3, a software suite designed to significantly decrease production times and costs in e-learning, in partnership with Desire2Learn (D2L) and the National Research Council (NRC) e-learning group.

In addition to integrating multimedia production and project management best practices / processes, SynergiC³ will develop workflow accelerators, wizards and communication bridges. This productivity enhancement framework is directed at the e-learning market, but could also be used in other industries whose businesses revolve around the creation of digital content.

This project builds on prior investments in a viable and sustainable IT technology cluster. SynergiC³ was initially conceived in-house to meet GTA's content development requirements. In June 2005, the SynergiC³ project won the Aboiteaux Research and Development Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the economic vitality of New Brunswick.

This AIF investment will expand the IT cluster by establishing a strong working partnership with D2L, a market leader in e-learning technologies. The project will increase D2L’s regional presence in Moncton to include R&D activities with the possibility of further collaboration. This initiative will significantly expand the research capabilities of the Groupe des technologies de l'apprentissage.

With total estimated project costs of over $5.5 million, the initiative will receive up to $2.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a four-year period.

Contact information:
Dany Benoit, Manager
Groupe des technologies de l’apprentissage
Direction générale des Technologies
Université de Moncton
165, rue Massey
Moncton (Nouveau-Brunswick) E1A 3E9
Tél. : (506) 858-4951 Courriel : benoitd@umoncton.ca

An Innovative Anaerobic Digester System for Waste Treatment and Bioenergy Production
University of New Brunswick

The Water and Environmental Engineering research team at the University of New Brunswick specializes in water treatment, ground water quality, surface water quality and water supply. The team has attracted research grants and established collaborations with industries, research institutes, municipalities, government organizations and other universities in the region.

The new AIF project will take technology previously developed for an aerobic reactor and apply it to an anaerobic reactor, targeting a different market and set of needs, and potentially producing an efficient and competitive new generation of bioreactors for treating wastewater and generating bio-energy.

This project is designed to develop new technology to treat high strength bio-degradable wastewater and liquid slurries. The new technology will help provide a competitive advantage over conventional anaerobic processes, including an ability to handle higher concentrations of suspended solids, fat, oil and grease.

After establishing the design principles through lab research in Fredericton, the project team will begin treating wastewater at the Cavendish Farms French fry plant in Prince Edward Island.

The key collaborator in this project is ADI Systems Inc. (ADI), a Fredericton-based firm with approximately 200 employees and branch offices throughout the Maritimes. The company has developed comprehensive knowledge for similar previous generation technologies and has installed over 130 industrial wastewater treatment systems in North America, the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, Europe, India, Australia, China and Southeast Asia.

This project is an example of strong university and private sector partnerships that have increased research capacity in the region. Private sector involvement will ensure the commercialization of the resulting technology from this project which will in turn benefit the economies of the Atlantic provinces.

The project, with total costs of almost $2 million, will receive up to $1 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

Contact information:
Dr. Kripa Singh
Associate Professor
Department of Civil Engineering and Department of Chemical Engineering
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Tel.: (506) 453-5108

Advanced Processes for Infrastructure Asset Management System
University of New Brunswick

Infrastructure asset management combines engineering principles with sound business and economic practices in a logical approach to maintaining, upgrading and operating infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings, and water and wastewater systems. Social and environmental factors must also be taken into consideration. Recent changes in North America’s financial accounting requirements are imposing stronger financial accountability on asset management.

Government and private sector companies currently use separate software systems designed to plan and track maintenance for individual asset types like roads, bridges, water & wastewater, and buildings. UNB proposes to develop specialized software that will link these individual systems together to facilitate high level long-term planning and resource forecasting. It will be collaborating with leading private sector companies from the Atlantic Region including ADI Limited, Remsoft Inc., xwave and Martec Ltd.

In partnership with these commercial partners, the project team will:

1. study current asset management processes to determine best practices;
2. develop multidisciplinary solutions to address practical issues related to operating civil infrastructure; and
3. develop software to facilitate long-term planning for different types of civil infrastructure assets.

The resulting software and management research will form the basis of new Asset Management Consulting Services for the commercial partners and a Centre of Excellence at UNB.

This project, with total estimated costs of over $4 million, will receive up to $2.5 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over four to five years.

Contact information:
Dr. Donath Mrawira
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
D.C. Campbell Chair in Highway and Pavement Research
University of New Brunswick
Fredericton, NB
Tel.: (506) 453-4976

Innovative Mechanical and Chemi-Mechanical Pulping Technologies for Value-Added Pulp and Paper Products
University of New Brunswick (UNB)

The Limerick Pulp and Paper Centre at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) is the only pulp and paper research centre in Atlantic Canada. The Centre has an excellent track record of research collaborations with industry in the areas of pulping, bleaching, papermaking and paper physics, and wet-end chemistry. Its scientific teams have conducted many research projects and obtained substantial support through various industrial and research grants.

The project is targeted at the pulp and paper industry, which traditionally has played a significant role in the economy of Atlantic Canada. Global competition, especially from countries with low-cost operations, has eroded the competitiveness of Atlantic producers. New technologies must be developed to maintain a healthy and vibrant industry in the region.

The objectives of the project are to:

1. develop innovative technologies that will allow pulp and paper producers in Atlantic Canada to increase the use of mechanical pulp as a substitute for more expensive and less environmentally friendly kraft pulp in many paper grades; and
2. transform existing newsprint production lines into paper lines for highly value-added specialty paper products.

These new technologies are expected to significantly reduce the costs to produce pulp and paper while meeting the needs of customers for high-quality papers.

This project will build upon UNB’s highly regarded expertise in pulp and paper research. Partnering with industry leaders will maximize the commercialization potential of the resulting technology, potentially increasing the competitiveness of the Canadian pulp and paper industry in the world market.

The project, with a total cost of over $2.6 million, will receive up to $1.5 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

Contact Information:
Dr. Kencheng Li
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Tel: (506) 451-6861

Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture
University of New Brunswick

Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is developing a process that combines the cultivation of finfish and shellfish (which filter organic waste particles), with seaweeds (which absorb dissolved inorganic nutrients), all on the same site.

This project will be conducted by the new Institute for Coastal Marine Science (ICMS), created by the University of New Brunswick and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. It brings together complementary research expertise to focus on productivity and stewardship challenges facing our coastal environment.

The underlying principle behind IMTA is to recycle food and energy for increased sustainability and profitability of the aquaculture industry. Research has shown that mussels and seaweeds grow better and faster in an IMTA farm compared to those grown outside aquaculture operations. They also excrete fewer nutrients into the environment.

This project builds on that success by advancing the IMTA concept to the commercial scale. It addresses challenges in mussel production and quality, disease risk, feed supply and site capacity. Technologies to increase production, improve product quality, and mechanize harvesting of seaweeds will be developed and tested.

The project will also develop computer models of nutrient plumes and removal, thereby improving bioremediation at aquaculture sites and enhancing environmental sustainability. New value-added products from IMTA mussels and seaweeds will be evaluated and the economics of IMTA will be documented to determine its net contribution to site profitability.

This project will strengthen local and international R&D collaborations and Canada's leadership in IMTA research. This project includes strong private sector collaboration with Cooke Aquaculture Inc., and Acadian Seaplants Limited.

This research is expected to increase the productivity and profitability of traditional aquaculture sites located in rural areas, create opportunities for employment, increase export of value-added products, and reduce the environmental impact from aquaculture wastes, all of which will make aquaculture operations more sustainable and publicly acceptable.

This project, with total costs of over $7 million, will receive up to $2.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a five-year period.

Contact information:
Dr. Thierry Chopin
Professor of Marine Biology
University of New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
(506) 648-5507