Holland College – Canada’s Smartest Kitchen Awarded By NSERC
May 08th, 2012
Canada’s Smartest Kitchen, the research arm of Holland College’s Culinary Institute of Canada, has been awarded $1.75 million to become one of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) new Technology Access Centres (TAC).
The NSERC Technology Access Centre grants, which are part of a pilot project, provide five-year funding for core operations of centres established by colleges to address applied research and innovation needs of local small and medium sized enterprises, enhancing their ability to be productive and innovative. Canada’s Smartest Kitchen is the only Technology Access Centre in Atlantic Canada, and one of only eight to be awarded across the country.
Canada’s Smartest Kitchen offers a full suite of services, from concept development to market entry, for the agri-food, fisheries and functional food sectors by blending culinary expertise, advanced technology capabilities and food science knowledge with a network of businesses, research organizations, academic institutions and government agency partners.
It is already a premier industry resource for the development of marketable value-added food products in Atlantic Canada, which is one of the reasons it was chosen, said Dr. Audrey Penner, Director of Applied Research at the college.
“To be recognized as one of only four colleges in Canada with the capability to be a technology access centre is a testimony to the strong applied research team at Holland College,” she said. “For the past two years, our research chefs have been working on food product development with partners in industry, and food technology centers with some amazing results. Their work has enabled Canada’s Smartest Kitchen to make a significant contribution to economic development in the region, and has earned a reputation as the premier resource for food design and innovation in Prince Edward Island, the Atlantic region, and across the country.”
As a member of Springboard Atlantic Inc, Holland College is part of an Atlantic network of research institutions focused on accelerating innovation. For more information about Canada’s Smartest Kitchen visit hollandcollege.com/csk.
NSERC
The Government of Canada will support 35 community colleges and cégeps that will be partnering with businesses to conduct research projects in the areas of information and communications technologies, environmental technologies, natural resources and energy. The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology made the announcement while addressing the Polytechnics Canada Annual Conference, hosted by Sheridan College.
“Collaboration between government, applied researchers and the private sector is vital to building an innovative economy,” said Minister Goodyear. “The College and Community Innovation Program supports research collaborations between companies and colleges. It illustrates the importance our government places on creating the conditions for innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive in this country.”
A total of 60 innovative partnerships between colleges and businesses will be provided more than $36 million over a period of up to five years through the College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program. The announcement includes 14 new Industrial Research Chairs for Colleges to support the development of longer term business-focussed applied research programs at colleges. Three new recipients of College-University Idea to Innovation Grants were also announced. These grants support collaboration between Canadian colleges, universities and businesses to improve or extend existing company technology or commercial products. Both were first announced in Budget 2011.
The projects announced today were selected for funding following a peer-reviewed competition. This announcement follows other CCI investments announced in 2009, 2010 and 2011; bringing total program investments to date to over $160 million for 248 projects at 62 colleges and cégeps.
Sheridan College received over $1.1 million for a new NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Mobile Computing. The Chair will focus on delivering innovative mobile computing solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises throughout Ontario. The Chair will also be supported by industrial partners Research in Motion Limited, Cisco Systems Canada, TELUS Corporation, and Xtreme Labs Inc.
The CCI Program is managed by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
“These investments provide colleges with access to the people, resources and tools they need to be at the forefront of innovation,” said Suzanne Fortier, President of NSERC. “The ultimate goal is to create sustainable partnerships that will help sharpen our innovative edge and have a positive impact on the bottom line of our country and industry.”
NSERC is a federal agency that helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for all Canadians. The agency supports some 30,000 postsecondary students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding more than 12,000 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging about 2,000 Canadian companies to participate and invest in postsecondary research projects.