Innovate BC has awarded $1.5 million to five research and development projects through its Ignite program, accelerating innovation across British Columbia. The funded initiatives address critical challenges in healthcare, mining emissions reduction, and more, fostering industry competitiveness and job creation province-wide.
“We are proud to deliver the Ignite program, which provides critical funding to drive the commercial success of cutting-edge solutions coming out of industry and academic partnerships in British Columbia,” said Peter Cowan, President and CEO of Innovate BC.
“These innovations not only address some of the province’s most pressing challenges, but also help promote productivity and growth in key industries, ultimately contributing to a prosperous economy that benefits all British Columbians.”
The Ignite program supports the commercialization of innovative projects in clean technology, engineering, and life sciences. Each project receives up to $300,000, enabling solutions that address pressing industry problems and show strong potential for market readiness within three years. Funded projects must demonstrate technical and commercial feasibility and involve collaboration between academic and industry partners.
Two cleantech projects were among the recipients, highlighting their potential to revolutionize the mining sector:
Ideon Technologies and Dr. Shaun Barker (University of British Columbia): This project focuses on utilizing cosmic-ray muon tomography to map and model block-cave mines. The approach aims to enhance the safety, efficiency, and accuracy of critical mineral extraction while reducing environmental impact compared to traditional mining methods.
Rockburst Technologies and Dr. Bern Klein (University of British Columbia): This collaboration seeks to develop a CO2-based method to pulverize ore, significantly reducing the energy and heavy machinery required in conventional crushing processes. This innovation could make mining operations more environmentally sustainable and cost-effective.
Since its launch in 2016, the Ignite program has provided $13.5 million in funding to 53 projects.