N.B. research projects get $19.6 million in funding

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Minister Keith Ashfield announced $19.6 million for nine new research and developmentprojects in New Brunswick on Wednesday.

The federal minister said the private and public projects will help create good paying jobs and keep highly-skilled scientists in New Brunswick.

"We are investing in realistic and achievable projects," Ashfield said in a statement about the federal investment under the Atlantic Innovation Fund.

"Projects that will advance our innovation and knowledge capacity, generate a range of alternative technologies, and develop leading-edge products and processes."

Among them is Miramichi's Umoe Solar, which will receive $3 million over four years to find a cheaper way to produce silicon to use in solar panels, providing an alternative source of clean, renewable energy.

Harsharn Tathgar, who is in charge of research and development at Umoe Solar, said one reason that the company recently set up shop in New Brunswick was because of the research opportunities.

"Why [did] we end up in Miramichi? One of the reasons was UNB and our company has a culture of having a close relationship with universities and research and development," Tathgar said.

Another company that was able to tap into the federal government for new money was BioProspecting NB Inc., a Sackville company.

The $2.9 million will go toward the development of a new drug that could help shrink tumors in people with breast, ovarian and prostate cancer, said chief science officer Jack Stewart.

Stewart and his team have been working onthe projectfor 10 years and he said they will soon begin trials of the drug, which could also be used in imaging to help diagnose tumours.

"We're so close and it's so promising we just want to push it forward as fast as we can because everyone knows someone with cancer," Stewart said.

"I have many friends right now who are in trouble so the harder and faster we can work, the better."

Stewart said the money will allow the company to hire two new people.

The other New Brunswickprojects selected for funding include:

• University of New Brunswick (Fredericton): Accelerating Java Using Massive Multi-Core Systems.
• Atlantic Cancer Research Institute (Moncton): Next Generation Biomarker Technology for Early Cancer Detection
• Atlantic Hydrogen Inc. (Fredericton): Production of Carbons for Energy Storage and Conductive Applications
• University of New Brunswick Institute of Biomedical Engineering: Portable Bio-Tone tool-kit for performance assessment of muscle impairment.
• Spielo Manufacturing ULC (Moncton): SPIELO Responsible Gaming Solution.
• Centre for Nuclear Energy Research (Fredericton): Smart Instrumentation for the Energy Sector.
• University of New Brunswick (Fredericton): Creating More Value for Hemicelluloses in Pulp & Paper Industry.

In total, 30 projects acrossAtlantic Canada will receive up to $62.4 million in AIF funding.