Tech-Access Canada Welcomes Budget 2023's Significant Support for College Applied Research

OTTAWA, ON, March 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Tech-Access Canada, the national network of Canada's 60 Technology Access Centres (TACs), welcomes Budget 2023's support for business innovation and applied research at Canada's colleges and cégeps.

Budget 2023's investment of $109 million in the College and Community Innovation Program will maximize the potential of college applied research to help businesses grow and build a stronger and more innovative Canadian economy.

"We sincerely appreciate the federal government's strong show of support for college applied research. The call to action will enable the TACs to assist even more Canadian innovators and entrepreneurs by solving their innovation challenges while maximizing regional economic impact," says Dr. Nathalie Méthot, Chair of Tech-Access Canada's Board of Directors

Technology Access Centres are nationally-recognized applied R&D centres affiliated exclusively with Canadian colleges and cégeps. Last year, the TACs assisted over 5,000 Canadian businesses ? over 80% were small businesses ? advance their products, processes and services by:

• conducting applied research and development projects focused on company problems;
• offering specialized technical services and objective advice; and
• providing training related to new types of equipment and processes.

"The government's investment in the long-standing College and Community Innovation Program will help expand the capacity of the TAC network, improving access to our facilities, equipment and innovation expertise," says Peter Laffin, Vice-Chair of Tech-Access Canada's Board. "Our goal is to have the TAC network help more than 20,000 Canadian companies with their business innovation and technology adoption challenges over the next three years." 

Tech-Access Canada is the national network of Canada's 60 Technology Access Centres (TACs). The network enables the TACs to serve any company, anywhere in Canada, and help them access the expertise, equipment, and facilities they need to solve their innovation challenges. The network's members provide clients and partners from across Canada with access to:

• expertise and experience of 2,100 business innovation and applied R&D experts;
• over 3.8 million square feet of innovation and applied research space; and
• over $477 million worth of highly-specialized equipment and facilities.

As a public good, Canada's TACs are designed to be a safe space for firms to de-risk the adoption of novel technologies. Their industry-friendly Intellectual Property (IP) policies put the IP in the hands of industry to commercially exploit, a tremendous benefit for small firms hoping to stay nimble and expand.

"Investments in augmenting the capacity of Canada's Technology Access Centres through the College and Community Innovation Program send a strong signal to Canadian innovators and entrepreneurs that a national network of innovation intermediaries stands ready to assist them on their journey of commercializing Made-in-Canada innovations" said Ken Doyle, Executive Director of Tech-Access Canada.

A not-for-profit organization based in Ottawa, Tech-Access Canada, has been facilitating the sharing of best practices between member TACs; working to harmonize service models across regions; promoting college applied research to external audiences, and operating the Interactive Visits Program since 2016.  

SOURCE Tech-Access Canada