Government of Canada Celebrates Partnerships Between Western University and Southern Ontario Businesses

LONDON, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 13, 2012) - Western University has worked with 11 businesses across southern Ontario on innovative, industry-driven research projects in fields such as renewable energy production and medical-imaging technology. Susan Truppe, Member of Parliament for London North Centre and Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), congratulates the university on its partnerships with small- and medium-sized businesses.

"The Government of Canada is committed to investing in innovation to create jobs and economic growth," said MP Truppe. "I am pleased that our government has supported Western University's partnerships with 11 businesses to strengthen this region's competitiveness."

In 2010, through FedDev Ontario's Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative, Western University was approved for a contribution of up to $750,000 to partner with small- and medium-sized enterprises on activities such as applied research, engineering design, technology development, product testing, and certification.

"The Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative helped kick start a number of promising products and partnerships between industry and our institutions that should sustain themselves in the coming years and give local business a competitive edge in the global economy," said Paul Paolatto, Executive Director, WORLDiscoveries®, which is the business development arm of Western University, the Robarts Research Institute and the Lawson Health Research Institute.

For more information on the Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative and Western University's partners, please refer to the backgrounder.

Created in 2009, FedDev Ontario supports the southern Ontario economy by building on the region's strengths and creating opportunities for jobs and economic growth. The Agency has launched a number of initiatives to create a Southern Ontario Advantage and place the region in a strong position to compete in the global economy. These initiatives are designed to encourage partnerships and support projects that help the region's businesses and communities become more competitive, innovative and diversified. To learn more, please visit www.feddevontario.gc.ca or call 1-866-593-5505.

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BACKGROUNDER

Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative - Western University

The Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative helps small- and medium-sized businesses in southern Ontario access applied research and development and pre-commercialization expertise found in post-secondary institutions.

Since its launch in 2010, the Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative has invested more than $14.5 million in 24 colleges and universities across southern Ontario so they could work with the private sector to bring new products and innovative processes to the marketplace faster. In December 2011, FedDev Ontario announced the extension of the initiative until March 31, 2013 with additional funding to further support innovation efforts in southern Ontario.

Western University has worked with the following eleven small- and medium-sized businesses on the following projects:

Admira Distributed Hybrid Energy Systems Inc. (Mississauga)

Admira Distributed Hybrid Energy Systems Inc. (Admira DHES) is a joint venture with Bhagwati Gases Limited, India. It delivers turn-key engineering of renewable energy products, energy efficient and green building projects and chemical process plants, including industrial gas plants. The focus of this project with Western University was to develop a sustainable energy system capable of generating heat, cooling and power simultaneously. In addition to the production of renewable energy, this project helps to reduce the use of fossil fuels and the carbon footprint for Ontario, Canada and India.

Enable Imaging Technologies Inc. (London)

Enable Imaging Technologies Inc. develops low-cost add-on hardware and software to expand the capabilities of existing ultrasound machines. Its current focus is the advancement of a three-dimensional imaging platform developed by Western University to assess cardiovascular disease risk. The collaboration with Western has further transitioned the prototype to a final product, and has provided the basis for pending regulatory submissions. More information is available at www.enableimagingtech.com.

Gudgeon Thermfire (London)

Gudgeon Thermfire is a manufacturer of gas-fired thermal sand reclaimers for foundry metal castings. The Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR) at Western University teamed up with Gudgeon Thermfire to develop and manufacture a system to convert waste wood into a renewable, carbon neutral coal substitute for power generation in Ontario. More information is available at www.gudgeon.on.ca.

H&C Heat Transfer Solutions Inc. (Sarnia)

H&C Heat Transfer Solutions Inc. is an engineering organization that provides heat transfer solutions to clients in the chemical, petrochemical and oil refining and gas industries for projects of all sizes. Through its partnership with Western University, H&C worked on the commercialization of a patented stationary power generation technology known as the BioGenerator. It has applications in more efficient delivery of electrical power from renewable supplies such as wind and solar, as well as large-scale power storage. As a result of the project, H&C will become a partner in a new company that will commercialize the BioGenerator for sale to power generators and local distribution companies.

Hassco Industries (London)

Hassco Industries manufactures steel tanks. The company collaborated with Western University to develop a technology to produce Silica and energy from rice straws by developing a new product line. The main challenge in the process is the chopping and feeding of wet straws to the reactor. The research partnership assisted in the pre-process development of the equipment needed for creating a full prototype of the process. The equipment has many applications beyond rice straw, as it can be used in processing various types of bio-mass materials. More information is available at www.hassco.ca.

Line-X Coatings (London)

Line-X Coatings specializes in the manufacturing and application of high performance polyurethane and polyurea coatings. Polyurethane foams are very difficult to degrade or to recycle due to their manufacturing process. The goal of this project with Western University is to develop polyurethane foams that decompose when exposed to sunlight, which can be used in the packaging, insulation and industrial sectors. More information is available at http://www.line-x.ca/.

London Hydro (London)

London Hydro is the electricity utility provider for the City of London and surrounding areas. The company has been exploring ways to integrate more renewable energy sources into the grid. Solar farms are idle at night and only partially utilized during the day. The research activities with Western University have led to the development of a prototype that will be demonstrated for the first time in Canada in December 2012 at a 10-kilowatt solar farm. More information is available at www.londonhydro.com.

Modus Medical Devices Inc. (London)

Modus Medical Devices Inc. develops and manufactures innovative and cost-effective quality assurance tools for advanced radiotherapy. The goal of the collaboration between Modus, Western University and the London Regional Cancer Program of the Lawson Health Research Institute was to develop educational laboratory courseware packages. Real-time acquisition, reconstruction and display of radiographs and computed tomography (CT) enable classroom demonstrations. Each lab is designed to help students understand medical imaging, both in theory and in application and are suitable for all levels of undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate programs. More information about Modus is available at www.modusmed.com. For more information about the DeskCAT™ Optical CT Scanner for Education please visit www.deskcat.com.

Renix Inc. (London)

Renix Inc. is commercializing a patented new technique that allows the power of ion exchange to be used in a continuous rather than a batch process. The partnership with Western University aims to adapt the Renix ion-exchange technology to extract valuable components from agricultural feed stocks. This will help the company develop and market its technology to food processors for making value-added proteins and other extracts on a commercial scale, without the drawbacks of current techniques. More information is available at www.renix.ca.

Rosstech Signals Inc. (Orillia)

Rosstech Signals Inc. develops and manufactures light-emitting diode (LED) applications and controls. The company offers in-house electronics design, computer-aided design (CAD) and software development to take projects from concept to manufacturing. The goal of this project was to build a prototype of a hybrid solar energy conversion system with multiple functions including: self-cleaning, water disinfection, water heating, and energy generation. This new hybrid solar system aims to make full use of the entire solar spectrum to produce three kilowatts of electricity and hot water for a family of four-to-six people, while avoiding the buildup of bacteria in the warm water tank. More information is available at http://www.rosstech.ca/.

Whitecrest Mushrooms (Putnam)

Whitecrest Mushrooms produces Cremini and Portobello mushrooms on a farm in Putnam, Ontario. The partnership with Western University explored the conversion of their zero value mushroom-growing medium into a valuable, carbon negative biochar. Biochar is highly porous charcoal made from biological materials. This project investigated a means to isolate carbon and could mean a new revenue stream for mushroom farmers around the world. More information is available at www.whitecrestmushrooms.com.