by Jessica Galang

The Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards in Ottawa announced an $8 million injection from FedDev Ontario for new programming and technology at the first entrepreneurship hub of its kind in Ottawa.

The Centre, which will open in fall of year and function as a “one stop shop” for entrepreneurs to access resources and collaborate, will use the funding to increase the technical and business capabilities available to companies through the Innovation Centre. The Centre was built off an initial $30 million from the City of Ottawa and the Government of Ontario.

“The Government of Canada is focused on supporting businesses to obtain the tools they need to succeed,” said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “We are doing this by investing in smart, collaborative partnerships that fuel growth. This project will open doors for a number of small and medium-sized businesses in high-growth sectors, and will lead to the development of innovative products and technologies here in our Nation’s capital.”

The funding will also be used to establish key programs that the Centre is planning to offer upon launch. These include a Global Cybersecurity Program enabling entrepreneurs and companies to access cybersecurity expertise, resources and support; develop commercial cybersecurity solutions; and build international relationships that open new global cybersecurity markets. This program will be delivered by the Technology Innovation Management Program of Carleton University together with VENUS Cybersecurity.

The Centre is also establishing a makerspace and digital media lab called Mademill, providing entrepreneurs, firms, and community members with access to tools, equipment, and technology to design, develop, and test digital media and advanced manufacturing prototypes. The presence of the lab is meant to accelerate technology commercialization and product development, and help to increase the investment, customer, and market-readiness of companies. The facility will be managed by prototypeD together with a network of collaborators.

“The prototyping capabilities to be offered through the Innovation Centre Maker Space will add significant value to our 3D printing team,” said Dr. Frank Rybicki, chief of radiology at The Ottawa Hospital, and professor and chair with the faculty of medicine at the University of Ottawa. “It will provide us with a commercialization hub for the production of patient-specific 3D models and applications. Leveraging the expertise and resources of this facility, we plan to launch several companies that address the vast and unmet global demand for such models, and create new medical 3D printing jobs here in Ottawa.”