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Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster invests in projects to fight COVID-19

Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), the industry-led organization behind Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, has invested over $21 million in projects that will lead to the Canadian production of critical technologies, equipment and medical devices to fight COVID-19.

Since the funding program was announced in late March, NGen has received over 900 expressions of interest from advanced manufacturing companies across Canada. Approved projects include the development and manufacturing of ventilators and components, test kits, face shields and a coating material that kills bacteria and viruses on contact.

NGen worked with the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Canada’s National Research Council, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada to prioritize projects that will deliver the most immediate benefits to Canadians.

“Manufacturers across Canada have stepped up to the challenge. Their capacity to innovative and mobilize advanced technologies has allowed them to respond rapidly, both in scaling up production of health care products and in delivering new solutions to front-line workers,” said Jayson Myers, CEO of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada. “There can be no better example of how important advanced manufacturing is to Canadians. It’s really been an all-of-Canada approach. Collaboration has been key in fighting COVID-19, and it will remain important as we prepare to open up the economy once again.”

Projects that have received funding include ventilators by Canadian Emergency Ventilators Inc./Starfish Medical (Toronto, ON); ventilator components by BOMImed (Winnipeg, MB); face shields by Molded Precision Components (Oro-Medonte, ON), Mosaic (Toronto, ON) and Burloak Technologies (Burlington, ON); test kits by Sona Nanotech (Halifax, NS) and Response Biomedical (Vancouver, BC); and sterilization coating by Envision SQ Inc. (Guelph, ON).