Camosun receives federal dollars to boost services that stimulate business innovation

Media Release
Release Date: May 1, 2014

Camosun's capacity to support and stimulate local business innovation and entrepreneurship just received a boost as a result of two Applied Research Tools & Instruments (ARTI) awards from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

These awards, totalling $280,980, will be used to enhance Camosun's robotic automation services for local manufacturing businesses and to acquire high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) and biofermentation equipment to support Vancouver Island's growing micro brewery industry.

The Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology), delivered this exciting news as part of a nationwide announcement of new NSERC funding. "Moving ideas efficiently from the laboratory to the marketplace is key to driving Canadian innovation forward," says Holder. "Our government is strengthening partnerships between colleges and local businesses to improve business and college innovation while creating jobs and prosperity for Canadians."

The latest ARTI award from NSERC is an endorsement of the quality of Camosun's R&D services, and this new investment will help to expand robotics, applied chemistry and biotechnology services to attract and serve an expanding client base. "Camosun is well-known for providing biochemical analytics, computer systems expertise and engineering/manufacturing technologies for local companies like MB Laboratories, Ltd. and Scott Plastics Ltd.," says Tim Walzak, Director of Camosun Applied Research & Innovation (CARI). "Faculty researchers like Imtehaze Heerah (Mechanical Engineering Technology) and Blair Surridge (Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology) have the skills, knowledge and inventors' insights to develop innovative solutions that yield astonishing results for our clients. A cast of engineers, technologists and administrators round out the team to provide our clients with practical solutions and a competitive edge. "

President Kathryn Laurin, who sits on the board for the Association of Canadian Community Colleges, believes investments from national funding agencies like NSERC help businesses tap into the talented people at colleges like Camosun, helping them to innovate, compete and stimulate our economy. "At Camosun, we continue to ramp up our activity to better serve the manufacturing industries and wider business community. By connecting college researchers, engineers, technologists and students with Vancouver Island small- and medium-sized businesses, we can really make a difference in the economic prosperity of the region and in the lives of our faculty, staff and students. It is all very exciting and promising."

Camosun VP Strategic Development Tom Roemer echoes President Laurin's sentiments. "Camosun has a wealth of talented people, advanced equipment and well-appointed facilities to help local businesses innovate and expand their services. We have recently opened our new Enterprise Point to serve the business community in a convenient, one-stop experience."

CARI and Enterprise Point provide real-world solutions for business, industry and the community through applied research and knowledge transfer activities. Through prototype development and testing, customized technology solutions, and product/process development and design, Camosun is helping invigorate the region's entrepreneurial sector.

To learn more about partnership opportunities with Camosun, contact Enterprise point: epoint@camosun.ca | 250-EPØINT1 (250-370-4681)

Camosun College is BC's most comprehensive community college offering over 160 different certificate, diploma and bachelor's degree programs to 18,500 students each year. With two campuses in Greater Victoria, the college also welcomes more than 800 international students each year from 60 countries and 1,000 Aboriginal students from across Canada. Camosun emphasizes applied learning experiences and maintains an outstanding reputation for teaching excellence. For more information visit www.camosun.ca.

View full NSERC announcement.

Backgrounder: ARTI project details

$149,999 for HPLC and biofermentation equipment in support of applied research initiatives with the growing micro brewery industry on Vancouver Island.

• Camosun can support growth of micro brewery businesses by:
  • analyzing organic compounds to help assess new yeasts
  • helping characterize hop components, which will become more important as breweries work closely with local farmers to develop a robust local hop industry
  • analyzing hop acids in beer that make a significant contribution to the overall taste
  • developing alternative wastewater treatment plans
• The HPLC will complement and build on the existing lab instrumentation. For example, existing equipment operates at higher temperatures and is used primarily to analyze small molecules. The HPLC operates at much lower temperatures and can analyze larger, complex, heat-sensitive molecules like lipids, polysaccharides (carbohydrates), and polypeptides.  
• There is great potential for supporting further liaison with Camosun and the community of local brew pubs and micro breweries, potentially leading to exciting employment opportunities for Camosun graduates. In addition, this equipment can help to leverage further research and equipment grants that will benefit students and industry clients. 
• The HPLC will immediately be incorporated into laboratory curriculum for Analytical Chemistry (Chem224). There are plans to make use of the HPLC in other courses like Organic Chemistry 2 (Chem231) and Biochemistry (Chem255).

$130,981 for robotic automation equipment to enhance industrial productivity.

• This grant will be used to purchase a robot arm system, designed to operate with an advanced MIG-based welding system. It will be used to:
  • enhance productivity for local manufacturers
  • act as a demonstration piece, actively promoting robotic technology and its applications
  • implement applications for companies that wish to improve the accuracy and efficiency of welding operations
  • train industry personnel on the use of robotics and, in particular, robot-welding
  • introduce technology students and welding students to robotic welding, helping to transfer the knowledge of the technology into the community

Contact

Camosun Applied Research & Innovation (CARI)
Tim Walzak, Ph.D., P.Eng.,
Director of CARI
250-217-6325
TWalzak@camosun.bc.ca

Enterprise Point
Tom Roemer, M.Sc. EdD,
VP Strategic Development
250-589-2353 |
RoemerT@camosun.bc.ca