Strategic Innovation Fund

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The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) is the program of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada designed to support the "Canadian innovation ecosystem," [1] which includes providing "funding to innovative sectors" such as "advanced manufacturing, agri-food, clean technology, clean resources, digital industries, and health and biosciences." [2] [3] [4] The SIF covers all sectors of the Canadian economy and is available to both for-profit and not-for profit organizations. [1]

Contents

It supports those large-scale projects that help position Canada's interests in the global knowledge-based economy, promoting the long-term competitiveness of Canadian industries, clean growth, and the "advancement of Canada's strategic technological advantage." [1] With a single, streamlined fund, it provides businesses with access to a simpler application process, more timely processing, and responsive assistance. [5]

History

Funded in the March 2017 Canadian federal budget and slated to last only five years, the SIF was introduced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his 29th Canadian Ministry in July 2017. [6] It was marketed as "A Simpler, More Flexible Tool to Grow Canada’s Economy," and accomplished this by "consolidat[ing] and simplify[ing] existing business innovation programming, in particular the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative, Technology Demonstration Program, Automotive Innovation Fund and Automotive Supplier Innovation Program." [7]

Since the 2018 Canadian federal budget, the SIF now only provides funds in chunks of over $10 million. [8] In June that year, the SIF was the mechanism of support for the steel and aluminum industries of Canada when the Trump Administration placed customs duties on them. [8]

In October 2018, Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Navdeep Bains, announced that the SIF would invest C$49.3 million in General Fusion. [9] In December 2019, General Fusion raised $65 million in Series E equity financing from Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, Bezos Expeditions, and Chrysalix, concurrently with another $38 million from the SIF. The firm said that the funds would permit it to begin the design, construction, and operation of its Fusion Demonstration Plant. [10] [11]

On 20 March 2020, the Canadian government announced a plan to ramp up production of medical equipment, switching assembly lines to produce ventilators, masks, and other personal protective gear. Companies would be able to access funds through the SIF. Trudeau stated that Canadian medical supply firms Thornhill Medical, Medicom, and Spartan Bioscience were looking to expand production. To address shortages and supply-chain disruption, Canada passed emergency legislation that waived patent protection, giving government-selected companies or organizations the right to produce patented products without permission from the patent holder. [12] According to the Bains, "the country's entire industrial policy will be refocused to prioritize the fight against COVID-19." [13] [14]

Projects

Recent projects of SIF, as of September 2021, include: [4]

SIF projects by sector, as of August 2021 [15]
Name(s)Advanced manufacturing Agrifood "Resources of the future"Health & biosciences Clean technology Digital industries
AbCellera Biologics Inc.x
Abraham Innovation Systems Inc.xx
Advantech Satellite Networks (now Spacebridge)x
Aerospace Innovation and Research Network (AIR) – (Aerospace Industries Association of Canada)xx
AGS Automotive Systemsxx
Alcoa Lauralco Management Companyx
Algoma Steel Inc. xx
Algoma Tubes Inc. and Prudential Steel Ltd. (Tenaris)x
Aluminerie Alouette Inc. xxx
ArcelorMittal Canada Inc.xx
ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P.xx
Arch Biopartners Inc.x
Attabotics Inc. xx
Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Ltd and partnersxxx
Bell Textron Canada xx
BioVectraxx
BlackBerry QNXx
Blue Solutions Canada Inc.xx
Bluedrop Performance Learning Inc. x
Burloak Technologiesxx
CAE Inc.xxx
Canada Kuwait Petrochemical Corp.xx
Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN)xx
Canadian Food Innovators Network (CFIN)xx
Carbon Engineering Ltd. xx
CBN Nano Technologies Inc. and Canadian Bank Note Company, Ltdx
Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation xx
Clean Resource Innovation Networkxx
Cognitive Systems Corp.x
Coulson Aircrane Ltd.x
Creative Destruction Labx
Digital Health and Discovery Platform (DHDP) - Terry Fox Research Institute / Imagiaxx
D-Wave Systems Inc. x
Domtar Inc. xx
Edesa Biotech Research, Inc.x
Elysis Limited Partnershipxx
EVRAZ xx
exactEarth x
General Fusion xx
Gerdau Ameristeel Corporation xx
Heico Canada Holding Companyx
High Q xx
Immune Biosolutions Inc.x
Industry Consortium for Image Guided Therapy (ICIGT) - Sunnybrook Research Institute xx
Innovation ENCQORx
Inter Pipeline xxx
ISARACorporationx
JP Bowman Ltd.xx
KABS Laboratories Inc.x
Kruger Inc. xxx
Lakeside Plastics Ltd.xx
Linamar Corporation xx
LNG Canada Development Inc. xxx
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. xx
Marwood Metal Fabrication Ltd.xx
Mastercard Technologies Canada ULCx
Medicago Inc. x
Meltech Innovation Canada Inc.x
Meridian Lightweight Technologies Inc.xx
MindBridge Analytics Inc.x
Moltex Energy Canada Inc.x
Natural Products Canadaxx
Nokia x
Northstarxx
NOVA Chemicals xxx
Nova Steel Inc.xxx
Nova Tube Inc.x
Novocol Pharmaceutical of Canadax
Origin Materials Canada Holding Ltd.x
Pratt & Whitney Canada xx
Precision NanoSystems Inc.x
Ranovusxxx
Redline Communications Inc. x
Resilience Biotechnologies Inc.x
Rockport Networks Inc.xx
Sanofi Pasteur Limited x
Sciemetric Instruments Inc.xx
Siemens Canada xxxx
Stelco Inc. x
STEMCELL Technologies x
SWITCH Materials Inc.xx
Synergx Technologies Inc.xx
Svante Inc.x
Tekna Plasma Systemsxx
Telesat Canada x
Terrestrial Energy Inc. xx
The Lion Electric Co. xx
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada xx
Variation Biotechnologies Inc. x
Volvo Group Canada Inc.xx
Woodbridge Foam Corporationx
3M Canada Companyx

Primary sector of company in bold ("x")

Medical Countermeasures projects

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SIF was designated by the Canadian government in March 2020 to deliver the Medical Countermeasures (MCM) initiative and was given authority to invest $792 million to fund clinical trials and manufacturing capacity at scale. The MCM funding stream is divided into three types of projects: vaccines, therapies, and biomanufacturing projects.

Announced MCM projects [16]
Project nameProvinceSIF contribution (CAD)Total project cost (CAD)Announcement dateType
Abcellera Biologics Inc.BC$175,631,000$287,353,0002020-05-03Therapeutics and biomanufacturing
Variation Biotechnologies Inc. (VBI)ON$55,976,000$74,636,0002020-08-05Vaccines
Precision NanoSystems Inc.BC$18,203,000$24,271,0002020-10-23Vaccines
Medicago Inc. QC$173,000,000$428,002,0002020-10-23Vaccines and biomanufacturing
Arch BioPartners ON$6,715,000$8,953,0002020-12-15Therapeutics
Edesa Biotech Research, Inc.ON$14,053,000$18,738,0002021-02-02Therapeutics
Precision NanoSystems Inc.BC$25,112,000$50,224,0002021-02-02Biomanufacturing
KABS Laboratories Inc.QC$54,209,000$84,843,0002021-03-16Biomanufacturing
Novocol Pharmaceutical of Canada ON$32,716,000$72,632,0002021-03-16Biomanufacturing
Immune Biosolutions Inc.QC$13,442,000$18,670,0002021-03-16Therapeutics
Resilience Biotechnologies Inc.ON$199,159,000$401,518,0002021-05-18Biomanufacturing
Total$768,216,000$1,469,840,000

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Government of Canada. "About the program". www.ic.gc.ca. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
  2. ↑ "STRATEGIC INNOVATION FUND - Stream 1-3". OECD O.N.E Sight. 4 November 2019.
  3. ↑ Kviselius, Niklas Z (May 2020). "Public Research and Innovation Funding Actors in Canada" (PDF). Stiftelsen för internationalisering av högre utbildning och forskning.
  4. 1 2 "Strategic Innovation Fund". Government of Canada. 2021-06-10.
  5. ↑ "Chapter 1 – Skills, Innovation and Middle Class Jobs". Government of Canada. 2017-03-22.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Paul (15 August 2017). "Strategic Innovation Fund: Putting Canada on the Global Innovation Lab". RDP Associates Inc.
  7. ↑ "Chapter 1 – Skills, Innovation and Middle Class Jobs". Government of Canada. 2017-03-22.
  8. 1 2 "Strategic Innovation Fund". Government of Canada. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. 2018-08-24.
  9. ↑ Boyle, Alan (26 October 2018). "Canadian government invests $38M in General Fusion to boost energy research". Geekwire. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  10. ↑ "General Fusion Closes $65M of Series E Financing". Global Newswire. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  11. ↑ "Bezos-Backed Fusion Startup Raises $100 Million for Demo System". Financial Post. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  12. ↑ "Exclusive: Canada gets Biomerieux formula for free to produce virus testing chemicals". Reuters. April 23, 2020. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Ottawa unveils plan to harness industry to ramp up production of COVID-19 medical gear &#124". CBC News. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  14. ↑ Platt, Brian (March 20, 2020). "COVID-19: Trudeau announces plan to 'mobilize industry' to produce medical supplies". National Post. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  15. ↑ Government of Canada, Innovation. "Overview of announced projects". www.ic.gc.ca. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  16. ↑ Government of Canada, Innovation. "COVID-19 related vaccines, therapies and biomanufacturing projects". www.ic.gc.ca. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
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