The Short Report – Nov. 25th, 2020: TELUS launches $100M social impact fund; Xanadu creates a quantum network hub, and more...

INNOVATION

Mitacs presented awards for achievements in Canadian research, including a face mask that kills viruses and bacteria; the design of children's treatment centres; a new cancer therapy; household sanitation; microplastic removal; Northern lands conservation, and advances in quantum computing. – Cision

TELUS (Vancouver) is launching the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good, a $100-million social impact investment fund that will accelerate businesses aiming to improve digital health technology, further social and economic inclusion, ensure sustainable food production and reduce our environmental footprint. – TELUS

Toronto-based Xanadu has partnered with MaRS and Creative Destruction Lab (both of Toronto) to create the Canada Quantum Network to facilitate economic development and innovation in quantum technology. – Newswire

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Alberta Innovates are providing up to $2.3 million annually up to two years to commercialize new technology innovations for small and medium-sized businesses in Alberta. – NSERC

The Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec are granting $1.35 million to the Cégep de Trois-Rivières to acquire a 3D printer for use by the Centre de métallurgie du Québec to develop high–performance components. The Government of Quebec is granting $600,000 through the Programme de soutien aux organismes de recherche et d'innovation while the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program will contribute $750,000. – GoC

The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute has launched a program, Supply Chain AI West, which will allow startups to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption related to supply chain management. Supply Chain AI West was made possible through a $500,000 investment from SCALE AI, an innovation supercluster funded by the governments of Canada and Quebec. – Amii

FedDev Ontario is investing $1 million to support Advanced Opto-Mechanical Systems and Technologies (AOMS Technologies, Toronto) as AOMS scales up its patented fibre-optic and digital internet of things platforms. – GoC

The Industrial Research Assistance Program is providing support that will enable American Manganese to conduct a technical feasibility study on the recyclability of  cathode material precursors such as lithium nickel manganese, used in electric vehicles. – American Manganese

The Canadian Space Agency’s smartEarth initiative is providing more than $3.6 million to 16 companies to advance R&D technology projects that maximize Earth’s observation data. – CSA

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office and Mitacs are partnering to promote the use of intellectual property among small to medium-sized businesses and not-for-profit organizations. – Mitacs

HEALTH

Mitacs has partnered with The Ottawa Hospital, Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa to form the Canadian Partnership for Research in Immunotherapy Manufacturing Excellence, a five-year program that provides students with the specialized training needed to develop, test and manufacture novel biotherapeutics. – Mitacs

Healthcare company Roche Canada (Mississauga) has launched the Roche AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) to advance digital transformation in healthcare. The CoE is a collaboration of the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, Quebec AI institute Mila and Toronto’s Vector Institute, which were formed through the Pan-Canadian AI strategy in 2017. – Amii

AGRICULTURE

Saskatchewan-based Mera Food Group, Mera Developments and Benson Farms are investing $3.6 million in plant proteins to develop food products for Western Canadian consumers before targeting Asian markets. Protein Industries Canada is investing another $3.6 million into this project. – PIC

CANADA IN THE NEWS

Canadian researchers and entrepreneurs are expressing relief at the defeat of US president Donald Trump by Joe Biden, despite the potential of greater competition in several tech fields and some areas of trade. – Science|Business

THE GRAPEVINE

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council is honouring Donna Strickland and Arthur McDonald by launching the NSERC Donna Strickland Prize for Societal Impact of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research and the Arthur B. McDonald Fellowships. –  NSERC

Rémi Quirion, the Chief Scientist of Quebec, has released his annual report for 2019-2020.

Evidence for Democracy (E4D) is opening up applications for a new executive director. Kimberly Girling, interim executive director of E4D, will be joining the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, Dr. Theresa Tam, as a senior policy analyst. – E4D

Maayan Ziv, Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, Dr. John Borrows, Katherine Homuth, the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, and Embers Staffing Solutions are the recipients of this year’s Governor General Innovator Awards. – GGIA