I-CAN Background Information

April 24, 2008 - Quebec City, QUE

Innoventures Canada (I-CAN) is an incorporated not-for-profit consortium that brings together several of Canada’s leading research agencies in 20 communities across eight provinces, to develop and commercialize new technologies on a national scale. I-CAN’s strategic focus is to integrate the skills and expertise of its members to address major Canadian challenges.

Forward-thinking initiatives
I-CAN is creating solutions for clean air, coping with climate change, and sustainable development. We take part in research, development and pilot project activities that have both medium- and long-term impacts.  We support companies to help them maintain and improve productivity and competitiveness.

With respect to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, I-CAN has begun important work that will result in economically viable processes and technologies that can be used to capture and convert CO2 emissions into products that are useful and valuable.

An impressive team

• Alberta Research Council
• Saskatchewan Research Council
• Manitoba Industrial Technology Centre
• Centre de Recherche Industrielle du Québec
• New Brunswick Research and Productivity Centre
• Northern Centre for Advanced Technology
• FPInnovations (formerly Feric/Forintek/Paprican)
  Institut Nationale d’Optique (INO)
• British Columbia Powertech Labs
• Prince Edward Island Food Technology Centre

Nationwide resources

By bringing these organizations together under the I-CAN umbrella, we give companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a single portal to our combined resources, specialized facilities, equipment and expertise. Together, I-CAN:

• improves Canada’s performance in technology commercialization;
• consolidates resources and avoids duplication;
• shortens a company’s “time to market” for new product development;
• provides to leading edge, specialized facilities that may not otherwise be accessible or cost-effective; and
• strengthens the ties between R&D service providers, government and industry.