Red Deer Polytechnic’s Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing is getting a $300,000 grant to promote the growth of innovations in health care assistive devices in Alberta.
The money from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council will be provided over two years.
“The additional staff we’ll be able to take on with the Applied Research and Technology Partnership grant will give us an integrated team of specialists capable of accelerating new product development for our industry clients,” said Tonya Wolfe, manager of the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing - Technology Access Centre (CIM-TAC), in a statement.
RDP said the centre’s business and industry clients will be able to accelerate commercialization of their devices through the addition of engineers and technologists with specialties in mechanics, mechatronics and robotics, as well as students in engineering, business, and health sciences to assist on projects.
“Additionally, we will be able to provide a new focus area for central Alberta’s existing manufacturing base, many of whom have already expressed a desire to find areas for new opportunities as the traditional economy of our region changes,” Wolfe said.
RDP said the majority of medical devices used in the healthcare system are imported. By encouraging the growth of innovations in health care assistive devices in the region, it will enable Alberta’s manufacturers to diversify into this market through the adoption and integration of digital manufacturing.
“With our enhanced capacity, CIM-TAC is able to provide Alberta’s assistive health care companies an integrated one-stop applied research shop to accelerate the commercialization of their homegrown innovations,” Wolfe said.
The national funding, and the equipment it supports, were highlighted at the CIM-TAC Open House, hosted May 31 at the industrial research facility.
“The Open House provided an opportunity for stakeholders and community members to come to CIM-TAC and gain a better understanding of the first-class innovation and opportunities that are available here,” said Jim Brinkhurst, interim RDP president.