Alberta Innovates expands partnership with NSERC to benefit Alberta-based small businesses

$4.6 million joint program to make small businesses more competitive

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, November 17, 2020 – Alberta Innovates and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) are expanding their partnership to create more opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to access Alberta’s world-class research institutions in order to develop and commercialize new technology innovations. Alberta Innovates, together with NSERC, will each provide $2.3 million per year for up to two years to help small and medium sized businesses grow in Alberta.

Campus Alberta Small Business Engagement (CASBE) program funding will be expanded to allow Alberta-based researchers to work in a 2-year research and development project with Alberta SMEs as industry partners. The program aims to reduce the time it takes for companies to innovate. The CASBE program allows post-secondary institutions to use their emerging technologies, highly qualified people, and high-tech facilities & equipment to help SMEs diversify their technological products. CASBE will leverage support from NSERC’s Engage, Applied Research & Development (ARD) (Colleges) and Alliance (Universities) programs.

Companies like Edmonton-based Phase Sensors have already benefited from the unique partnership between researchers and business. The company’s partnership with the University of Alberta, along with support from the CASBE-NSERC program, led to the development of a new high-tech sensor placed on the walls of refineries to detect fouling. In 2018, Phase Sensors – after patenting the new idea – was able to demonstrate and commercialize this new technological product with a major international oil and gas company.