Harper Government Supports Canadian Wheat Manufacturing Through Research at the University of Manitoba

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwired - April 14, 2015) - Industry Canada

New research at the University of Manitoba will help Canadian manufacturers of Asian-style noodles boost their production, enhancing economic activity in an export industry that is a major source of foreign revenue. The announcement was made by Rod Bruinooge, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, on behalf of the Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology), at the University of Manitoba.

Over half of Canada's wheat exports are used to manufacture Asian-style noodles. Dr. Martin Scanlon at the University of Manitoba and his research team are working with manufacturer VN Instruments Ltd. to develop a prototype acoustic sensor system that will make rolling sheet manufacturing processes more efficient. In addition, the Canadian International Grains Institute will provide Dr. Scanlon and his team access to a functional pilot-scale noodle manufacturing line to test the acoustic sensor system. The system will initially be applied to measure the properties of noodle dough sheets.

Mr. Bruinooge took the opportunity to tour the laboratory of Dr. John Page, a team member of Dr. Scanlon, whose lab received administrative support through the Research Support Fund. Dr. Scanlon and Dr. Page provided a first-hand demonstration of the effectiveness of an acoustic sensor system prototype for measuring noodle sheet properties.

Dr. Scanlon's research is being supported with an investment of $543,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's (NSERC) Strategic Project Grants program.

In addition to this funding, the University of Manitoba is also receiving an investment of $7.4 million through the Research Support Fund for 2014-15 to help the university with the overhead or additional costs of research for all its federally funded research programs. Since 2006, the Government has provided $72.75 million in research support to the University of Manitoba.

Quick facts

• NSERC Strategic Project Grants aim to increase research and training in four target areas that could strongly influence Canada's economy, society or environment in the next 10 years: environmental science and technologies, information and communications technologies, manufacturing, and natural resources and energy.

• The Research Support Fund helps cover some of the costs associated with managing the research funded by NSERC, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, such as salaries for administrative support staff, training costs for workplace health and safety, maintenance of libraries and laboratories, and administrative costs associated with obtaining patents for inventions.

• NSERC is consolidating the Strategic Project Grants and Strategic Network Grants into one program called Strategic Partnership Grants for Projects. This will help NSERC provide more seamless support to industry and encourage businesses to invest more in research and development.

• Recently, Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered on the Government's commitment to provide an updated science, technology and innovation strategy. The strategy, Seizing Canada's Moment, is a vision and a road map for strengthening Canada's position as a global leader in scientific research while looking to harness greater Canadian innovations that create jobs, increase prosperity and improve the quality of life of Canadians.

• NSERC Strategic Project Grants and the Research Support Fund correspond to all three pillars of the renewed science, technology and innovation strategy-knowledge, people and innovation-by developing highly skilled people, building research knowledge and sharing this expertise with business to improve processes and technologies.

Quotes

"The University of Manitoba is at the forefront of so many innovations. Our government is proud to support research that will help Manitoba wheat manufacturers improve the quality and production of Asian-style noodles-a growing sector in the Canadian economy."

- Rod Bruinooge, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South

"Through our government's updated science, technology and innovation strategy, we are making the record investments necessary to push the boundaries of knowledge, create jobs and prosperity, and improve the quality of life of Canadians. Our government, through the Strategic Project Grants program, is supporting research that will address key industry challenges over the next decade in natural resources and energy, manufacturing, environmental science and technologies, and information and communications technologies."

- Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology)

"The best research brings talented minds together to generate exciting ideas and create the advancements of tomorrow. NSERC is proud to support these strategic projects that extend our knowledge and create new innovations that will define our future."

- Dr. B. Mario Pinto, President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

"The University of Manitoba congratulates Dr. Scanlon on his successful partnership with industry to help a much-needed sector of our local economy. The support of the federal government through this funding and its support of all research at the University of Manitoba through the Research Support Fund is critical to our success."

- Dr. Digvir Jayas, VP (Research and International), University of Manitoba

"We are grateful to NSERC and the federal government for continued support of this innovative project that partners university, industry and government laboratories. By applying cutting-edge concepts in physics to address manufacturing challenges in the agriculture sector, we expect market opportunities will arise for both manufacturing and production industries in Canada."

- Dr. Martin Scanlon, University of Manitoba

Associated links

- Recipients of 2014 Strategic Project Grants

- Information on the Research Support Fund

- Strategic Partnership Grants overview

- Science, technology and innovation strategy, Seizing Canada's Moment

- University of Manitoba Department of Food Science

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