GOVERNMENT FUNDING & NEWS

National Defence announced the awarding of two federal contracts to Brampton, Ont.-based MDA Space to equip the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class ships with up to six state-of-the-art Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS). (MDA’s solution is based on the Aerovironment Puma AE unmanned aircraft, photo at right by Aerovironment). The initial acquisition contract for two UAS is valued at approximately $39 million and the initial in-service support contract has an estimated value of $27 million for a period of five years and could be extended up to 20 years. These UAS will enhance the RCN’s ability to conduct long-range surveillance and targeting operations. The two new contracts have the potential to contribute $18 million annually to Canada’s gross domestic product and create or maintain 145 jobs annually to the Canadian economy over a 20-year period, National Defence said. This investment, part of the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (ISTAR-UAS) project, marks the first time the Royal Canadian Navy will operate and support a Class-2 UAS. Initial operational capability is anticipated in 2028, with full operational capability expected in 2032. National Defence

China’s Ministry of Commerce announced on August 12 it will impose a 75.8-percent duty on Canadian canola. China brought in 100-percent tariffs on Canadian canola oil and canola meal in March following an “anti-discrimination probe” it launched after Ottawa imposed steep tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, steel and aluminum last fall. The new duties, set to take effect on August 14, would also apply to canola seeds, which made up more than three-quarters of the $4.9 billion in Canadian canola exports to China in 2024. Also that year, $920 million in Canadian canola meal and $20 million worth of oil were exported to China. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said China’s new duty on Canadian canola will affect the entire industry, including farmers and processors. Moe said the canola industry in Canada generates over $40 billion in economic activity, which supports over 200,000 jobs nationally. He wants the canola industry to receive similar supports offered to other industries impacted by tariffs, such as steel, aluminum and lumber. Separately, China launched a year-long anti-dumping investigation into Canadian pea starch. Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, CTV News

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) announced $45.7 million in funding for 30 projects across Canada through Natural Resources Canada’s Build and Mobilize Foundational Wildland Fire Knowledge program. The program is investing over $41.7 million in contributions for 20 research and demonstration projects and $3.9 million through the Supporting and Mobilizing Indigenous Fire Knowledge grant for 10 Indigenous-led projects. These projects are driving research focused on protecting Canadians from the growing threat of wildfires, strengthening wildfire risk assessments and improving mitigation and adaptive forestry practices. The projects are also helping Indigenous communities access the tools needed to lead on wildfire readiness in their communities and backing Indigenous-led projects that support fire stewardship. NRCan

The Government of Alberta is investing up to $12.7 million from the industry-funded Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction Regulation program to support three new energy projects – with a combined project value of $35 million – that use natural infrastructure to strengthen the electricity grid, safely store carbon dioxide and extract critical battery metals. Alberta has a significant number of salt caverns, primarily located in central and northeastern parts of the province. A $5-million investment through Emissions Reduction Alberta will help Cache Power Corp. advance the Marguerite Lake Compressed Air Energy Storage Demonstration Project. This project would use electric motor-driven compressors to capture excess electricity generated from Alberta’s grid, store it underground as compressed air and release it again when power generation is limited. LithiumBank Resources will receive $3.9 million to advance its technology that pulls battery-quality lithium out of brine aquifers deep underground in northern Alberta. This project uses Alberta’s existing resources to create critical metals needed for batteries, potentially providing another source for highly skilled jobs and innovation in northern communities. Carbon Management Canada will receive $3.8 million to test a new monitoring system that will safely and cheaply sequester carbon dioxide underground. This will help advance the province’s potential for carbon capture, utilization and storage and keep growing its responsible energy sector. Govt. of Alberta

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) announced a federal investment of $8.2 million through the Global Partnerships Initiative in Northcliff Resources, a Canadian company developing a tungsten-molybdenum deposit in New Brunswick through its Sisson Project. The funding is part of the broader Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, which aims to accelerate the development of key mineral projects across the country and strengthen Canada’s position in global supply chains. The funding will be directed toward the feasibility study update and engineering design, which will provide the necessary economic and technical information to support a construction decision on the Sisson Project. The Sisson Project is one of New Brunswick’s most promising mining developments, with the potential to become a significant source of tungsten and molybdenum and a driver of regional economic growth. These key minerals help produce lightweight, durable components for industrial purposes and improved performance of batteries, used in energy storage and other renewable energy systems. They are also critical to defence and aerospace industries. NRCan said this investment helps secure a domestic supply, reducing Canada’s reliance on foreign sources and strengthening our supply chains. NRCan

The Government of Ontario is investing more than $2.87 million through the Skills Development Fund Training Stream in the Canadian Institute of Forestry to support a project by the Institute, in partnership with College Boréal, to train workers for in-demand roles in the forestry and resource sector, helping grow Northern Ontario’s economy. The Skills Development Fund Training Stream is open to a wide range of applicants, including employers, industry associations, labour unions, hospitals and many more. The government also announced the launch of the sixth round of the Skills Development Fund Training Stream. This round will provide $260 million for innovative projects that support the hiring, training and upskilling of workers in manufacturing, health care, construction, automotive and other skilled trades. Website of Vic Fedeli, MPP, Nipissing

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) announced over $4.2 million to support four agricultural projects in Saskatchewan through the Business Scale-up and Productivity program and the Regional Innovation Ecosystems program. These investments are:

• The Global Institute for Food Security at the University of Saskatchewan will develop a genomic selection-based accelerated breeding program, through over $1.6 million in federal support.
• Venlaw Manufacturing Ltd. is receiving funding of $2.1 million to install novel automation equipment for new grain bin manufacturing.
• The Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre Inc. is receiving an investment of $420,000 to purchase equipment and renovate to increase co-packing capabilities and incubation space.
• Ag-West Bio Inc. will leverage funding of $20,000 to deliver the Agri-Value Forum in 2025 and 2026, an event to promote value-added agriculture in Saskatchewan. PrairiesCan

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) announced an investment of $2.5 million from the Energy Innovation Program to support Ottawa-based TerraFixing in developing made-in-Canada carbon management technology. The project aims to advance direct air capture technology designed for cold climates by scaling up carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture beds. The technology uses structured zeolite packing – a porous mineral that traps CO₂ from the air – to minimize pressure drop and improve mass transport of CO₂. The goal is to fit a 1,000-tonnes-per-year unit into a shipping container, achieving costs below $100 per tonne of CO₂ at a large scale. As part of Budget 2021, the federal government is investing $319 million over seven years into research, development and demonstrations to advance the commercial viability of carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies. NRCan

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) announced over $1.3 million, funded through its Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative, for three businesses in Saskatchewan. These strategic investments will help accelerate AI adoption and the digital transition of Canada’s economy. By catalyzing AI, companies can improve products and services for Canadians while driving sustainable economic growth. The investments include:  

• Enabling Ground Truth Agriculture to complete and commercialize a new grain grading system. They are receiving $586,900.
• Supporting Greenwave Innovations Inc. to enhance their energy monitoring platform for commercial and industrial buildings. They are receiving $425,000.
• Helping Offstreet Technology Inc. to enhance their cloud-based guest registration parking technology and grow their market in North America. They are receiving $300,000. PrairiesCan

The Government of Ontario, in cooperation with the Government of Alberta and the Government of Saskatchewan, issued a request for proposals to conduct a feasibility study exploring options for establishing a new economic and energy corridor. This corridor would include a new pipeline between Alberta and Ontario that brings western Canadian oil and natural gas to refineries and tidewater ports in southern Ontario. The feasibility study will explore the practicality and benefits of a new port outlet on James Bay, Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes, as well as consider the viability of a new or expanded refinery along the pipeline route. This expanded capacity would provide additional opportunities to export Canadian energy outside the country, while creating new jobs and opportunities for Canadian workers in the petroleum refining sector. The feasibility study will also consider the financial and commercial tools necessary to derisk a pipeline project, provide strategies to achieve Indigenous equity participation and consider the benefits of establishing a Canadian Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Canada is one of the few International Energy Agency member states that does not maintain a federally administered strategic petroleum reserve, which leaves Canadian homes and businesses exposed and vulnerable to cross-border pipeline disputes, extreme weather disruptions, geopolitical supply shocks and other disruptions in energy supply. This reserve would be an emergency stockpile of petroleum that the province can utilize in emergency situations to minimize service interruptions to the flow of oil. Govt. of Ontario

Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said he sees “tremendous potential” for turning the Port of Churchill, Man., into a much larger export hub, opening new trade routes to Europe and other markets. The minister said he has seen multiple pitches for projects to move goods through the location, which is at almost the same latitude as Oslo, Norway. “I believe there is an opportunity to make Churchill a far more strategic port,” Hodgson said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “If you look at what the Russians are doing, they ship for most of the year from their Arctic ports.” Turning Churchill into a multi-seasonal port capable of handling a wide variety of bulk goods would take years and cost billions of dollars, for a route that’s locked by ice much of the year. However, the federal government is in the midst of procuring a new fleet of icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard. With those ships, “you’re not talking about a four-month shipping season,” Hodgson said. “You could have a lane open for probably most of the year.” Financial Post

See also: Port of Churchill is attracting more investment as an option to diversify trade routes amid U.S. tariffs

The Regina-based, federally funded Protein Industries Canada global innovation cluster announced the Asia-Pacific Market Entry Program. Developed and run in partnership with Nurasa Food Tech Innovation Centre, a leading food innovation centre based in Singapore, this program is designed to help Canada’s plant-based food and ingredient companies optimize their products for launch in the Asia-Pacific market. This initiative represents a major opportunity for Canadian companies to diversify their exports and scale globally into a large and important market, Protein Industries Canada said. By offering tailored market insights, product development and formulation support, as well as access to Nurasa’s state-of-the-art facilities and network of commercialization partners, the program will accelerate market access and enable Canada’s innovative agrifood companies to reach their full potential. Protein Industries Canada

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cleared a U.S. subsidiary of GardaWorld, the Montreal-headquartered security giant helping to staff the Florida detention site known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” to bid up to US$138 million on ICE contracts. GardaWorld Federal Services, a Virginia-based arm of GardaWorld, was among dozens of companies shortlisted by ICE, under an emergency procurement program, government records show. ICE’s agreement with GardaWorld’s U.S. subsidiary sets a limit of US$138 million on the value of contracts the company can compete for, the Montreal Gazette reported. The contracts are part of a sweeping effort by U.S. President Donald Trump to expand detention capacity across the country. GardaWorld was already contracted – reportedly for US$8 million – to provide security and correctional staff at “Alligator Alcatraz,” a remote facility in Ochopee, Fla. The facility is expected to house up to 3,000 detainees. GardaWorld provides a wide range of private security services in Canada and abroad, including airport screening, cash transport and personal protection. On August 7, a Florida judge ruled to temporarily halt operations at “Alligator Alcatraz” over a lawsuit alleging the site’s construction skirted environmental laws. U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams’s order halts any new construction for the next 14 days. The order will not have any impact on the detention center's activity regarding immigration policy enforcement, Williams said. Montreal Gazette

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the United States said it would shut down next year, effectively ending its half-century role as a backer of National Public Radio (NPR), the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and local radio and TV stations across the United States. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is among the first casualties of a Republican effort to strip about $500 million in federal funding from NPR, PBS and local stations across the country. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will continue to support public broadcasters through a transition period that will end in January 2026, Patricia Harrison, president and chief executive, said in a statement. Conservative policy advocates, legislators and presidents have argued for decades that the public shouldn’t be responsible for financing media they perceived as having a liberal bias. Congress voted last month to claw back more than $500 million of the organization’s annual funding in a narrow vote that played out along party lines. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education ended a $23 million grant that funded children’s educational programs and games. The New York Times

The Donald Trump administration is seeking more than $1 billion from the University of California, Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.) to restore about $584 million in federal research funding that the government halted, according to a draft of a settlement agreement reviewed by The New York Times. The proposal calls for the university to make a $1-billion payment to the U.S. government and to contribute $172 million to a claims fund that would compensate victims of civil rights violations. If U.C.L.A. accedes to the demand, it would be the largest payout by far of any university that has so far reached a deal with the White House. Columbia University agreed to pay $221 million in connection with its settlement with the government, and Brown University pledged to spend $50 million with state workforce programs. “As a public university, we are stewards of taxpayer resources, and a payment of this scale would completely devastate our country’s greatest public university system as well as inflict great harm on our students and all Californians,” said James B. Milliken, U.C.L.A.’s president. The New York Times

RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Canadian universities’ financial challenges means it’s “very unlikely” they’ll attract top U.S. academics

Canadian universities are facing serious financial challenges that will very likely dissuade top U.S. academics from moving to Canada, says Carleton University professor Christopher Worswick.

In Ontario, the Doug Ford government’s 10-percent cut in 2019/20 to tuition fees paid by domestic students (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) was followed by five years of domestic tuition freezes, said Worswick, professor of economics at Carleton and external fellow at the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration at University College London.

Adjusting for inflation, these moves represent a cut of approximately 24 percent in real terms, he wrote in an op-ed in The Globe and Mail.

“Universities in Ontario are rapidly running down reserves while cutting anywhere they can and, if the policy environment does not change, will need to make significant layoffs over the next two years,” he said.

Universities in the rest of the country also face budgetary challenges, Worswick noted.

The financial situation for English-language Quebec universities is especially dire as the François Legault government pulls tuition revenue away from McGill University, Concordia University and Bishop’s University to support French-language universities in the province.

Adding to the faculty recruitment challenges facing Canadian universities, academic salaries are typically much higher in the U.S. than in Canada, he said.

Top professors at the Harvard Business School can earn more than US$1 million per year, whereas the top academic salary at University of Toronto is less than half of that amount, after converting to U.S. dollars.

Health-care differences between the U.S. and Canada also make moving to Canada less attractive for top U.S. academics, Worswick said.

 A Harvard professor who moves to University of Toronto would be very unlikely to have a family doctor given the shortages in Ontario, which is something they would take for granted under Harvard University’s health plan.

The faculty member would also be unable to purchase private health insurance in Ontario, unlike if they went to a university in virtually any Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation country.

“Taken together, this is hardly an environment where we would expect professors from elite U.S. universities to go when they can move to almost anywhere in the world,” Worswick said.

The widely cited QS ranking places Harvard University 5^th in the world, while nearby MIT ranks 1^st. University of Oxford is ranked 4^th and University of Melbourne is ranked 19^th, while the highest-ranked Canadian universities are McGill at 27^th and University of Toronto at 29^th.

“It is unlikely that the extreme budget stresses these Canadian universities now face have yet to fully affect their global reputations, and so their rankings may not stay this high,” Worswick said.

Universities are important parts of modern economies, he pointed out.

In the case of Ontario, a 2021 Conference Board of Canada report found that universities’ annual activities and human capital development are equal in value to 11.7 percent of the province’s GDP.

Elite professors can raise the prestige of their institution and help attract international students, strengthening the economy through their tuition and expenditures.

To gain more of these benefits, both the federal and provincial governments should adapt policies to help Canadian universities attract top academics from around the world, Worswick said.

Provincial governments are clearly struggling to provide adequate funding for both health care and education, and health care is typically ranked by Canadians as the greater priority, he said.

“In this context, provinces should focus public resources on reducing health care shortages and allow universities to operate more independently, setting tuition as appropriate to support their academic programs.”

The Canada Research Chair program needs to be revamped, he said. The annual transfer from the federal government to the university for a given category of chair has not changed since 2000, meaning that, in real terms, each chair has fallen in value by roughly 40 percent and will continue to fall in real terms with future inflation.

The Canada Excellence Research Chairs, introduced in 2008, are more generous, but the program needs to be expanded if it is going to attract many elite faculty members from the U.S.

International student numbers at universities should be allowed to rise again given the high tuition fees they raise and the fact that these students typically go on to be strong candidates as economic immigrants, Worswick said. “This would generate higher revenue, allowing universities to make more competitive salary offers to top international candidates.” The Globe and Mail

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Many Canadians are feeling anxious about what AI could mean for their jobs and livelihoods: Abacus Data

Nearly half of employed Canadians (47 percent) say they’re worried that AI and automation could soon force them to change their job or career, according to a new survey by Ottawa-based Abacus Data.

But this concern isn’t evenly spread – it’s most intense among young adults, with 55 percent of those aged 18-29 expressing anxiety about needing to shift careers within the next five years.

People who are already familiar with AI are also more likely to worry (56 percent), perhaps reflecting a deeper understanding of how quickly workplace technology is evolving.

The spectre of job loss is widespread – seven in 10 employed Canadians believe that AI will make some jobs in their industry obsolete.

And the feeling of being prepared to adapt to this new reality is split right down the middle: 50 percent say they feel ready, while the other half feel unprepared.

Readiness also follows demographic lines. Young adults (63 percent of those 18-29, 58 percent of those 30-44) and men (54 percent) are more likely to say they feel equipped to handle the change, while older Canadians (68 percent of those 60+) and women (55 percent) are less confident.

The biggest gap is between those who are familiar with AI (68 percent feel prepared) and those who aren’t – 80 percent of that group say they’re not ready for what’s coming.

“These findings underscore a real divide in how equipped Canadians feel to face the coming transformation,” Abacus Data said.

Asked whether AI will bring more opportunities than risks to their workplace in the next five years, Canadians are perfectly divided: 49 percent see the upside, while 51 percent remain unconvinced.

But optimism is more common among men (53 percent), Canadians aged 30-44 (56 percent), and those familiar with AI (61 percent). In contrast, women (58 percent), older Canadians (61 percent of 60+), and those who lack AI familiarity (71 percent) are more likely to view AI as a net risk.

“This deep split highlights the ongoing debate over whether AI will ultimately help or harm the Canadian workforce.”

Despite all the anticipation – and anxiety – around AI, only about one in three employed Canadians (36 percent) report that their employer has encouraged, required or provided any training to help them use AI tools at work.

The vast majority are left to figure things out on their own, or not at all. For most workers, structured support to adapt to AI remains out of reach, potentially widening the skills gap in the years ahead.

When Canadians consider the bigger picture, pessimism outweighs optimism: 62 percent believe that AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates, with just 11 percent believing the opposite. There is a widespread expectation that AI’s impact on the labour market will be more about disruption and loss than new opportunities.

Many are already feeling anxious about what AI could mean for their jobs and livelihoods, and those concerns are shaping conversations about work, learning, and trust in our institutions, Abacus Data said.

If these worries are left unaddressed, there’s a risk that progress could slow and divisions could widen, the company said.

But there is also a real opportunity for leaders – across government, business, and the tech sector – to step up and guide Canadians through this transition. As AI continues to accelerate, people will look for answers and reassurance about how they will be supported and protected.

“With open communication, investment in accessible training, and a commitment to inclusion, Canada can help ensure that everyone is prepared to adapt at their own pace and on their own terms.”

The random survey was conducted with 1,915 Canadian adults from July 10 to 15, 2025. The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.24 percent, 19 times out of 20. Abacus Data

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Quebec Superior Court Judge Dominique Poulin authorized a class-action lawsuit that names the Government of Canada, McGill University, and Royal Victoria Hospital. According to CBC, the lawsuit alleges that “brainwashing” experiments carried out at the Allan Memorial Institute in Montreal between 1948 and 1964 consisted of unlawful human experimentation. The lawsuit alleges that these Cold War-era experiments conducted by Dr. Ewen Cameron, with their “depatterning treatments,” violated the patients’ bodies and minds and were carried out without their consent or knowledge. The lawsuit also alleges the experiments were “enabled by the Government of Canada as well as by the Royal Victoria Hospital and McGill University.” CTV News reported that plaintiffs will be able to pursue compensatory damages, but will not be able to pursue punitive damages, as the events occurred before Quebec’s Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms came into effect. CBC News, CTV News

A growing number of people are having persuasive, delusional conversations with generative AI chatbots that have led to institutionalization, divorce and death, The New York Times reported. They include corporate recruiter Allan Brooks, 47, on the outskirts of Toronto, who had no history of mental illness but believed he had discovered a novel mathematical formula that could take down the internet and power inventions like a force-field vest and a levitation beam. He embraced this fantastical scenario during conversations with ChatGPT that spanned 300 hours over 21 days – without eating or sleeping enough. Brooks had written 90,000 words, a novel’s worth; ChatGPT’s responses exceeded 1 million words, weaving a spell that left him dizzy with possibility. Brooks’s ChatGPT, which he named Lawrence, started out writing real computer programs to help Brooks crack cryptography, but when that effort made little headway, Lawrence feigned success. At one point, it claimed it could work independently while Brooks slept – even though ChatGPT does not have the ability to do this. Lawrence provided Amazon links for equipment Brooks should buy to start building a lab. Brooks realized his delusion – ironically after communicating his experience with another chatbot, Gemini – and he is now an advocate for stronger AI safety measures. OpenAI announced last week that it was making changes to ChatGPT to “better detect signs of mental or emotional distress.” The New York Times

See also: AI chatbots being used as friends, confidants and therapists are causing harm to individuals and families

Tech is officially the fastest-growing sector in British Columbia, with more than 11,000 tech companies employing 271,000 British Columbians, according to the 2025 edition of the BC Tech Map. The tech sector grew GDP three times faster than the rest of B.C.'s economy and is expected to create a further 80,000 jobs over the next five years. B.C. is a leader in a wide range of verticals, including artificial intelligence, augmented reality/virtual reality/mixed reality, blockchain, cleantech, cloud/software-as-a-service, digital health, digital media, fintech, gaming, healthtech, life sciences, quantum technologies, cybersecurity, smart cities, and emerging software solutions. Techcouver

Vancouver-based AbCellera began the first tests in humans of the company’s drug candidate ABCL635, aimed at helping with the hot flashes that can come with menopause. The testing of a drug of AbCellera’s own creation “completes our transition to a clinical-stage biotechnology company,” said Carl Hansen, founder and CEO of AbCellera. The company is also recruiting patients for the first trial of a potential eczema medication. The news of clinical trials for AbCellera’s own drugs came in a quarterly report saying it lost US$34.7 million on revenue of US$17.1 million – but the company has US$753 million in liquidity. It also added nine research projects with partners in the past year, for a cumulative total of 102 projects. AbCellera

Edmonton-based Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API) celebrated the one-year groundbreaking of the Critical Medicines Production Centre, in the Life Sciences Campus at the Edmonton Research Park. The Centre, scheduled to be operational in 2026, is a key component of the $200-million Canadian Critical Drug Initiative (CCDI). API leads the CCDI in partnership with the University of Alberta, to build an integrated research, commercialization and manufacturing cluster for Alberta’s life sciences sector. Backed by the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada through Prairies Economic Development Canada in March 2023, this milestone marked a pivotal step toward strengthening Canada’s domestic biomanufacturing capacity, API said. The Critical Medicines Production Centre is the only Canadian facility of its kind with integrated high volume production capacity. During a crisis, it can scale an injectable, small molecule or biologic product for the entire country in a critical 100-day sprint. 

PhantomOmics Inc. and Garden Loft Construction Ltd. – both based in Calgary – announced a partnership to deploy biometric health-scanning devices in modular senior housing across Canada. PhantomOmics is a health technology company specializing in non-invasive diagnostic hardware, predictive AI and smart home integrations. Garden Loft builds architecturally refined housing options for seniors, including backyard suites, small urban and rural villages, and small care homes. The collaboration integrates next-generation non-invasive health diagnostics with age-in-place architecture, offering a solution to the growing global challenge of caring for aging populations. This alliance lays the foundation for scalable, preventative, in-home care models that can reduce costs, increase safety, and provide peace of mind for families and caregivers. Garden Loft will include Phantomomic's Valetudo 800 Series as part of its digital platform. The Valetudo 800 is a compact, bathroom-mounted, power-over-ethernet device that delivers continuous, non-contact health monitoring. The technology operates quietly in the background and alerts caregivers or clinicians in the event of anomalies, making it ideal for elderly residents who value independence but require subtle monitoring for safety. PhantomOmics

MaRS Discovery District in Toronto and the Toyota Mobility Foundation announced the 10 high-potential startups that will be participating in the second cohort of the Mobility Unlimited Hub in Toronto. These companies bring novel technological approaches to active mobility and transformational devices and will leverage the Hub's network to accelerate the commercialization of their solutions in both Canada and globally. Building on the success of the first cohort, this program is once again focused on active mobility, including rehabilitative, adaptive and assistive solutions, with the aim of fostering a more inclusive and accessible society. According to a recent Canadian Survey on Disability, 27 percent of Canadians aged 15 years and older – eight million people – have one or more disabilities that limit their daily activities. Additionally, 30 percent of people living with disabilities in Canada report that their requirements for assistive devices have not been fulfilled. MaRS Discovery District

Calgary-based Orpyx® Medical Technologies Inc. announced the launch of its next-generation sensory insole program, a proactive, scalable solution to prevent the most costly and preventable consequences of diabetes. The Orpyx® Sensory Insoles are embedded with proprietary sensors that continuously track plantar pressure, foot temperature, step count and wear time – physiological indicators that signal early deterioration in foot health. Designed for effortless patient use, the insoles function for up to six months without charging and sync with an intuitive mobile app and home hub that uploads data directly and securely to the Orpyx cloud. Each program participant is paired with a dedicated Orpyx nurse who delivers personalized coaching, adherence support and wellness checks. The Orpyx technology is clinically validated and economically proven in multiple peer-reviewed publications. In the U.S. alone, one in every three diabetes-related healthcare dollars goes toward managing foot-related complications, representing over $80 billion annually. BusinessWire

Switzerland-based ABB announced it will invest more than $130 million to expand the R&D and production capacity of its advanced power protection and grid resilience technologies in Canada. The project is supported by funding of $16 million from Investissement Québec. ABB’s investment in Montreal will combine the company’s existing Iberville and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu facilities at a new greenfield location. This will enable ABB to meet increasing demand in key growth industries, including utilities, renewables, transportation, and residential and infrastructure projects across Canada. The new 340,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing and R&D facility will be more than 33 percent larger than the two locations it replaces and will incorporate advanced production automation and digital technologies. The new site is expected to open in mid-2027 and will be located in the South Shore region of Montreal. The new building will integrate clean, energy-efficient electrical equipment and heating systems to reduce energy consumption and cut carbon emissions by over 95 percent, compared with the two existing facilities. ABB

Switzerland-based Glencore completed its purchase of Toronto-headquartered Li-Cycle’s assets and Li-Cycle co-founder Ajay Kochhar will now lead Glencore’s battery recycling division. The announcement on LinkedIn doesn’t specify the final offer for Li-Cycle, but a July 30 court document puts the successful bid at nearly $43.6 million. Li-Cycle aimed to recycle electric vehicle batteries but ran out of money during a construction dispute at its major New York factory. When the company filed for bankruptcy protection in May, it warned that it would likely close operations in Asia and most of Europe, aside from Switzerland and Germany. Glencore’s acquisition will let the company continue operations in Germany and potentially resume them in Ontario, New York, Arizona and Alabama. LinkedIn

California-based Lyten announced it has entered a binding agreement to acquire electric vehicle battery maker Northvolt’s remaining assets in Sweden and Germany. The acquisition – for an undisclosed price – includes Northvolt Ett and Ett Expansion (Skelleftea, Sweden), Northvolt Labs (Västeras, Sweden), and Northvolt Drei (Heide, Germany). Lyten also is acquiring all remaining Northvolt intellectual property. Lyten aims to be the leading supplier of clean, locally sourced and manufactured batteries and energy storage systems in both North America and Europe. Northvolt’s assets brings the facilities and Swedish talent to accelerate this mission by years, Lyten said. Lyten is also committed to pursuing the acquisition of Northvolt Six in Quebec, which was to construct a 15 gigawatts-per-hour Phase 1 battery manufacturing facility. Lyten is actively progressing discussions with Northvolt North America, the Government of Canada, the Government of Québec and other key local stakeholders. Northvolt

San-Francisco-based Harvey is bringing its AI legal platform to Canada by opening a new office in Toronto this October as part of the company’s global expansion strategy. Harvey, which has already partnered with Canadian law firms, including Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and Gowling WLG, said the new office will help the company collaborate even more closely with firms shaping the future of legal work and build engineering and sales teams in the Canadian market. Workers at law firms and corporate legal departments use Harvey’s tools to analyze and summarize documents, pulling out key information to generate filings and contracts. By establishing a permanent presence in Toronto, Harvey said it is positioning Canada as a core part of its product roadmap. Harvey

Washington State-based Helion Energy, a startup with $1 billion in private backing, has begun construction on the first U.S. fusion power plant intended to supply electricity to Microsoft by 2028. This deal is the first-ever commercial agreement to purchase fusion energy – a big step toward making fusion a real-world power source. Replicating the energy generation of stars, the most common fusion reactor approaches seek to use temperatures of 100 million degrees Fahrenheit or more to fuse isotopes of hydrogen together within enormously powerful magnetic fields. A second strategy is ignition fusion achieved by striking tiny fuel pellets with ultra high-energy laser beams, as demonstrated by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 2022. But Helion aims to use superheated fuel to produce fast-pulsed reactions that rhythmically change the surrounding magnetic field, directly generating electricity. The approach, if mastered, would eliminate the need to contain and convert fusion heat into much lower temperatures in order to power turbines. Helion completed construction of its Polaris reactor prototype at the end of 2024 and hopes to demonstrate electricity from fusion from that reactor as soon as this year.  E&E News

VC, PRIVATE INVESTMENT & ACQUISITIONS

New York-based AI-powered sales assistance company Clay raised US$100 million at a US$3.1-billion valuation. CEO Kareem Amin studied at McGill University and Nicolae Rusan, one of the startup’s co-founders, is Canadian. The funding round was led by CapitalG, an investment arm of Alphabet, Google’s parent company. Other participants included Meritech Capital Partners and Sequoia Capital. Clay said it now has about 180 employees and more than 10,000 paying customers, including OpenAI and Google, and that its revenue is on track to hit $100 million by year-end. The New York Times

Toronto-based Blue J, a GenAI tax research platform, raised US$122 million in a Series D funding round led by Oak HC/FT and Sapphire Ventures, with participation from Intrepid Growth Partners, and previous investors Ten Coves Capital and CPA.com. Blue J’s platform leverages advanced generative AI to deliver instant, reliable answers to complex tax questions spanning U.S. federal, state, and local tax, as well as Canadian and U.K. tax law. Blue J said with this funding, the company will further accelerate team expansion, product development and market reach. Business Wire

Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont.- and Austin, Texas-based BinSentry raised $50 million in a Series C funding round led by Lead Edge Capital. BinSentry is a tech company helping major agriculture enterprises optimize feed supply chains through AI-powered sensors and real-time monitoring. The company said the investment will support the acceleration of BinSentry’s global expansion. BinSentry said its solar-powered, self-cleaning sensors monitor on-farm feed levels with 99-percent accuracy, eliminating the need for manual inventory checks and preventing costly feed outages. Paired with a mobile dashboard, the technology allows feed mills and large agricultural businesses to better forecast demand, reduce waste and improve profitability. Earlier this year Cargill and BinSentry formalized a partnership to make Cargill the exclusive distributor in Brazil of BinSentry’s animal feed inventory management platform. Business Wire

The Saskatoon-based First Nations Bank of Canada (FNBC) raised $9 million in an equity investment by five Indigenous investors. The investment comes from a group of Indigenous-led organizations and communities across Canada:

• Whitefish Lake First Nation #128 (Treaty 8 – Alberta).
• Úújǫ Developments (Treaty 8 – British Columbia).
• Doig River First Nation (Treaty 8 – British Columbia).
• Dáanaa Jíli (Cache) Trust (Yukon – FNBC shareholder expanding its position).
• Athabasca Basin Development (Saskatchewan – Indigenous investment firm).

The new capital will support FNBC’s continued loan book expansion, particularly in response to rising demand in its core commercial lending business, as well as new programs being delivered in partnership with the Business Development Bank of Canada and Canada Infrastructure Bank. FNBC is seeking to secure up to $50 million in equity capital over the coming year to further strengthen FNBC's ability to serve Indigenous economic development and expand its national reach. FNBC

Saskatoon-based TeamLinkt, an AI-powered sports management platform, raised $8.3 million in an investment from San Francisco-based Growth Street Partners. TeamLinkt’s platform is designed to simplify registration, scheduling, communication and website management for leagues, clubs and associations. TeamLinkt said the investment will enable the company to scale its AI-powered capabilities, including Emi, the platform's AI assistant that helps organizations create registration forms, generate schedules, roster teams, automate communications, produce content such as news and web content, and provide detailed data reporting and analytics. The investment also supports the expansion of digital fundraising, payment automation and advanced analytics features. Growth Street Partners

Calgary- and Saskatoon-based soil remediation startup LiORA raised $5.1 million in seed funding to scale its operations in the United States. The funding round was led by Conexus Credit Union Venture Fund II and BDC Capital’s Sustainability Venture Fund, with participation from PIC Investment Group, Golden Opportunities Fund, and WTC Investments. LiORA specializes in cleaning up pollution at contaminated industrial sites using innovative tools developed through academic research. CEO Steven Siciliano, a professor of soil toxicology, aims to prove a scalable go-to-market strategy across the U.S., focusing on making soil remediation more efficient and sustainable. LiORA plans to use the new funding to enhance its developer and software engineering teams. Startup Ecosystem Canada

Vancouver-based digital wealth and payments company Mogo sold $13.8 million of its investment in Toronto-based WonderFi Technologies Inc., representing just under 50 percent of Mogo’s total holdings in WonderFi. The WonderFi shares were sold at a modest discount to the proposed $250-million valuation in connection with WonderFi’s pending acquisition by California-based financial services giant Robinhood Markets Inc. Mogo currently plans to hold the remaining shares until that transaction closes, which WonderFi has stated is expected to occur in the second half of 2025. With these proceeds, Mogo has increased its investment in Bitcoin1 to approximately $2 million, further reinforcing its conviction in Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset and a core pillar of its treasury strategy. Mogo

San Francisco-based crypto company Ripple Payments agreed to acquire Toronto-based stablecoin payments company Rail for US$200 million. Ripple Payments offers a broad payout network, market-leading digital asset liquidity, and a kit of more than 60 licenses to manage customers’ payment flows compliantly. Rail helps banks and other financial firms settle payments for their clients much faster by converting regular money into stablecoins as it moves between accounts. Rail adds to Ripple’s capabilities with virtual accounts and automated back-office infrastructure, which streamlines operations. Ripple expects the deal to close in the fourth quarter, subject to regulatory approval. BusinessWire

San Francisco-based Doximity Inc., a digital platform for U.S. medical professionals, acquired Montreal-based Pathway Medical Inc., which specializes in medical AI and evidence-based clinical reference, for US$63 million. The deal includes $26 million in cash and up to $37 million in additional equity grants. All six Pathway Medical staff will join Doximity, which doesn’t currently plan to expand in Montreal. Over the past seven years, Pathway has assembled one of the largest structured datasets in medicine – purpose-built for AI – spanning nearly every guideline, drug and landmark clinical trial across all major specialties. Pathway’s model outperforms others in clinical accuracy, recently scoring a record 96 percent on the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination benchmark. BusinessWire

Kitchener, Waterloo, Ont.-based supply chain technology firm Descartes Systems Group acquired California-based startup Finale Inventory for up to US$55 million. This acquisition is part of Descartes’ strategy to enhance its e-commerce solutions amid challenging market conditions due to U.S. tariffs and inflationary impacts. Finale Inventory provides cloud-based, multi-channel inventory management software and has integrated with Canadian e-commerce giant Shopify. This deal marks Descartes’ 34^th acquisition since 2016 and is part of its business model to incorporate other logistics and supply chain management companies. Startup Ecosystem Canada

REPORTS & POLICIES

Government innovation-support programs need improved coordination and collaboration to maximize benefits for businesses

Almost all government innovation-support programs significantly increase companies’ innovation propensity but improved coordination and collaboration among program organizations is needed to maximize benefits for businesses, according to a study from the C. D. Howe Institute.

Collaboration among these organizations, with shared resources and databases, could lead to the elimination of redundancies, while proactive planning can prevent rash decisions when financial pressures increase, says study author Catherine Beaudry, fellow-in-residence at the C. D. Howe Institute and a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Economics of Innovation and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Management and Economics of Innovation at Polytechnique Montréal.

Companies that take successful non-government action or use government programs to overcome non-financial barriers have a similar innovation probability as those without such barriers, she says.

“Although the success of their initiatives is not known ahead of time, encouraging and supporting companies that have not applied for or accessed these programs is essential,” Beaudry says. They would benefit from being coached and mentored to improve the success of their endeavours to overcome these challenges.

However, identifying these companies is not a straightforward task. Informing and highlighting the benefits of using available resources, via regional or industrial associations, or bodies such as the Conseil de l’innovation du Québec, can help promote innovation and growth for these firms.

Beaudry says her research also highlighted cases where the actions of companies or government programs have improved the likelihood of innovating, beyond that of companies that did not face non-financial barriers.

“It is clear that these programs do more than just overcome hurdles; they help all firms innovate more, especially those facing barriers like market size, risk and uncertainty.”

The next step is to identify specific government innovation-support programs that outperform expectations, Beaudry says.

In-depth studies can help governments choose which innovation-support programs to enhance. Effective governance is crucial for companies to overcome barriers and innovate beyond expectations, she adds. Government agencies must clarify their roles and responsibilities to ensure seamless coordination.

Companies that address non-financial barriers can thrive, but only if they do not also face financial constraints, Beaudry says. “Therefore, aligning innovation-support programs to effectively eliminate these financial constraints is important.”

The government can play an effective complementary role alongside the private sector without replacing private initiatives that should remain the main driver.

Risks and uncertainties hindered innovation for more than 40 percent of innovative companies, Beaudry notes. “Removing these risks is crucial,” she says.

In her study’s earlier samples (2009, 2012), public procurement’s impact on innovation propensity was minimal (non-significant), despite being used by 4.2 percent and seven percent of firms in 2007-2009 and 2010-2012, respectively.

Beaudry says it is doubtful results will have changed much with public procurement utilization in more recent surveys (2015-2017, 2017-2019, and 2020-2022), dropping to 1.9 percent to 2.2 percent.

Nonetheless, in sectors where the public sector is an early adopter, such as construction, transport, and healthcare, testing and validating technology in the public sector reduces innovation risks, she says. “In these sectors, we suggest using public procurement to mitigate some risks and uncertainties related to emerging technologies.”

Regulation plays an important role in many innovative sectors. Increased collaboration in both the early and upstream phases of innovation is not only desirable but can also improve and accelerate the development and deployment of innovation, Beaudry says.

Recognized national bodies can facilitate a rapid and effective regulatory process, allowing Canadian innovations to become global standards. Licensed technology minimizes risks and uncertainties, providing a boost to innovators.

As innovative companies continue to face financial constraints, improved regulation could effectively leverage investment by reducing risk, Beaudry says.

To ensure that more companies succeed, it is imperative to correct the failure to innovate at several levels, she notes.

“We do not fully understand why some companies initiate actions to overcome these obstacles, while others do not. We also lack information on specific measures companies have taken beyond government programs.”

Her study could not find information on the organizations or groups that help firms navigate government programs. More detailed questionnaires and interviews are needed to address this issue, she says.

The fact that surveys generally fail to match specific suites of government programs with the barriers they have helped to alleviate hampers the understanding of how businesses overcome them, Beaudry points out.

While this can be partially remedied by careful matching of surveys with various government programs (Statistics Canada’s Business Innovation and Growth Support database is a good example), data collection at the provincial, regional, and municipal levels is more complex to implement.

Beaudry says that in light of her study’s results and the questions they raise, it is imperative that the community interested in these issues – including industry leaders, policymakers, and academics – identify the programs that work, the impact of their combined effect, and how to improve those that partially achieve their objectives, while studying the behaviour of companies and the support they obtain from their ecosystem when they try to innovate.

Canada needs a unified strategy that combines government innovation programs, enhances business-led innovation efforts, and leverages robust innovation systems, Beaudry concludes. “This approach will drive Canadian innovations to global markets, including beyond the U.S. market.” C. D. Howe Institute

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Canada cannot build a more productive economy when governments abandon the post-secondary sector

Governments in Canada have abandoned the post-secondary sector to campus closures and shuttered programs, while highly qualified personnel are being displaced at an unprecedented rate, according to a commentary from Polytechnics Canada.

Changes to policies on international study have been disruptive and chaotic, with little attention given to reasonable levels of public funding, leaving no room for institutions to adapt, says the commentary by Sarah Watts-Rynard, CEO of Polytechnics Canada.

A recent report from the Ontario Public Service Employees Union speaks to the suspension of more than 600 programs and 10,000 job losses in Ontario colleges alone, she says.

“To achieve any vision for a more productive Canada, the essential role of post-secondary institutions cannot be overlooked,” Watts-Rynard says.

For example, broadly accessing artificial intelligence across the business community requires an AI-enabled workforce to apply the technology to boost productivity regardless of the sector or region, she notes.

Rather than focusing on AI to streamline the delivery of government programs, emphasis should be on empowering the next generation with AI skills, she adds. “A skilled workforce is the secret sauce for technology adoption.

At Seneca Polytechnic, AI is being integrated in operations, student support and across programs, Watts-Rynard says. The school is awaiting ministry approval of an applied Master of AI Design and Development for fall 2025.

At the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), applied research is underway to prevent and manage wildfires using drones and AI technology. “Deployment of AI in the broader economy relies on finding pragmatic use cases.”

Watts-Rynard points out that post-secondary institutions have long supported veterans transitioning from the military to civilian workforce, helping them find new ways to apply their skills.

As government looks to recruit an expanded military, polytechnics are positioned to make substantive contributions to training the next generation of Canadian military in fields as diverse as marine technicians, signal operators, engineers and skilled tradespeople, she says.

With a new emphasis on defence procurement comes opportunities to engage institutions like the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, which has expertise in drone and aerospace technology, not to mention capacity as a NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator.

Watts-Rynard says it’s hard to imagine that Canada will reach its residential housing targets or its desire to build a new cross-country energy infrastructure without skilled tradespeople. Apprenticeship technical training remains heavily reliant on the spaces, equipment and expertise resident at polytechnic institutions across Canada.

Despite a move among governments across the country to boost capacity at union training centres, nearly 64 percent of apprentices work for non-union employers, she notes.

It isn’t a matter of either/or: according to BuildForce Canada, the construction sector will require more than 380,000 new workers by 2034, Watts-Rynard says. “To meet requirements, Canada needs its entire training system to be turning out qualified tradespeople at maximum capacity.”

Conestoga College hosts one of the country’s largest skilled trades training centres, boasting a modern, light-filled campus that delivers apprenticeship and post-secondary programs in industrial, manufacturing and construction trades.

At BCIT, the Zero Energy & Emissions Buildings Learning Centre helps the construction workforce develop the necessary skills to meet Canada’s ambitious net-zero targets.

Removing trade barriers and enabling labour mobility across the country sounds easier than it is, Watts-Rynard says. Many occupations have region-specific training requirements, regulations and exams.

Institutions that offer industry-aligned training programs are ideally positioned to evaluate and assess competency against local labour market needs, she says. Where gaps exist, the same institutions can point learners to full-time, part-time and continuing education options.

At Saskatchewan Polytechnic, for example, learners can apply for equivalency, prior learning assessment and transfer credits. The institution has one of the country’s leading programs for preparing internationally trained nurses to work in Canada.

While many believe Canada’s post-secondary institutions have become too reliant on international students to pay the bills, the haphazard handling of study visa policy is actively undermining programs local businesses and domestic students need most, Watts-Rynard says.

“Any grand vision for Canada requires a skilled workforce and a ready supply of talent. A weakened public post-secondary sector is a risk we cannot afford.” Polytechnics Canada

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Pacific NorthWest Economic Region to collaborate on developing robust cross-border hydrogen economies

The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region that includes British Columbia and Washington State is well-positioned to collaborate on developing robust cross-border hydrogen economies that attract investment, enable multi-sector uses, and support high-quality jobs across the region, according to new multi-jurisdictional studies.

B.C. and Washington are each critically positioned with alternative electricity grids and existing hydrogen technology expertise that support infrastructure and energy development, the studies found.

These first-of-their-kind studies explore cross-border collaboration opportunities that leverage geographic proximity and existing relationships to drive economic growth, infrastructure development and hydrogen accessibility.

The studies include the cross-border Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Analysis, commissioned by the Washington State Department of Commerce and the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions, and the Alberta Hydrogen Analysis commissioned by the Government of Alberta.

The studies were conducted by Deloitte and developed to enable policymakers, industry stakeholders, Indigenous and Tribal Nations, and regional partners better understand the economic landscape, funding tools and policy frameworks that support the development and deployment of hydrogen.

“Low-carbon hydrogen is part of a sustainable, clean energy future,” Adrian Dix, B.C.’s Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, said in a statement.

“Through B.C.’s Clean Energy and Major Projects Office, we are working with project proponents, industry, First Nations and local communities to create a world-leading hydrogen economy, and this collaborative work will help all of us in the Pacific Northwest to achieve that milestone,” Dix said.

“Washington is a clean hydrogen leader nationally and internationally,” said Joe Nguyen, director of the Washington State Department of Commerce.

“By building on our longstanding relationship with British Columbia and working more closely together, we can boost clean hydrogen market growth in our region and amplify its positive impacts here at home and across the broader Pacific Northwest.”

Key recommendations in the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Analysis include:

• Share data and coordinate planning of hydrogen projects and initiatives across jurisdictions in the Pacific Northwest. This includes formalizing a Pacific Northwest-focused hydrogen working group or task force, and launching a cross-border coordination effort between relevant agencies in B.C. and Washington.
• Evaluate opportunities to harmonize policies to facilitate cross-border hydrogen development, including funding mechanisms and seamless trade.
• Support ways to involve, partner with and benefit Tribes, First Nations and communities. This includes educational resources, associations and collaboration to uplift indigenous voices.
• Advance regional hubs and cross-jurisdictional corridors for aligned hydrogen and synthetic fuel use.

The new Alberta Hydrogen Analysis puts forward recommendations to enhance Alberta’s hydrogen funding and regulatory landscape, support new and existing hydrogen hubs, assess potential for hydrogen-fueled transportation, and explore export potential to other Pacific Northwest provinces and states.

The Government of Alberta will take the Alberta Hydrogen Analysis into advisement as it revisits its Hydrogen Roadmap in 2025.

Alberta has a well-established hydrogen value chain with hydrogen hubs in Edmonton, Calgary and other locations.

The Alberta government aims to expand hubs in Alberta and the greater region to develop a comprehensive network of integrated hydrogen supply chains.

Key recommendations in the Alberta Hydrogen Analysis are:

• Ensure regulatory efficiency, codes and standards in a governance toolkit tailored to hydrogen hub operations.
• Lead a formal platform for hydrogen hubs across Canada to share knowledge and best practices.
• Build new market demand by implementing incentives and support tools to reduce hydrogen adoption barriers.
• Fund research and development opportunities to lower costs through technology, innovation and attract capital investment.
• Pursue hydrogen exports by conducting assessments on transportation logistics corridors to identify bottlenecks and investment opportunities.
• Enable carbon capture, utilization and storage to reduce lifecycle emissions and support low-carbon certification.
• Activate technology and innovation to underpin a successful long-term hydrogen economy strategy. Pacific NorthWest Economic Region

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“Smart” manufacturing in Canada’s meat processing industry offers multiple benefits: Conference Board of Canada

Almost half of unit operations in the primary processing of beef in Canada’s meat processing industry can be automated to some degree, with robots that are at a technology readiness level of four and above, according to a report by the Conference Board of Canada (CBoC) done in partnership with the Future Skills Centre.

Smart manufacturing in the meat processing industry increases the demand for advanced technical and digital skills, such as robotic operation, control and maintenance, along with higher levels of education and training including college diplomas and other formal certifications, says the report, Beefing Up Innovation: Smart Manufacturing and Cutting-Edge Skills for the Meat Processing Industry.

Food manufacturing is Canada’s largest manufacturing industry by employment and the second largest by GDP. It accounts for 14 percent of manufacturing GDP and 16 percent of manufacturing jobs in Canada.

The meat processing industry anchors the economic might of food manufacturing, the report says. Over a quarter of all jobs and GDP in food manufacturing is due to meat processing.

Canadian beef and pork production accounted for $5 billion and $4.7 billion in exports in 2023, respectively. These two meat products had a combined trade surplus of $6.3 billion in the same year.

However, Canada’s meat processing industry is facing acute labour pains, the report notes. More than half of meat processors cannot find the number of workers or experience levels needed.

Meat processing has challenging working conditions, and the safety and well-being of workers is a point of concern for investors and other stakeholders.

Smart manufacturing uses an automated, digital and sustainability-conscious business model to increase the efficiency of traditional manufacturing approaches, resulting in more agile and productive industries, the report says.

These technologies, including the use of robotics, automation and digital technologies in processing plants, streamline operations while ensuring high-quality products and operational resiliency.

“The potential gains in productivity, operational resilience and sustainability are compelling for meat processors,” the report says.

The report compared the unit operations and skills in meat processing, for both smart and conventional plants.

Other key findings of the report include:

• Only a handful of unit operations in the secondary processing of beef can be robotized. In secondary beef processing, worker skills such as touch sensing, hand-eye coordination, visual perception, decision-making and dexterity for gripping and manipulating carcasses remain critical, as robots have yet to match the proficiency of humans in these areas.
• By replacing the physical demands, knife skills and knowledge of animal anatomy with robots in certain operations, smart manufacturing can expand the scope of individuals who can work in the meat processing industry. As such, it creates opportunities for a more diverse workforce.
• Smart manufacturing can transform the safety and working environment of individuals employed in primary beef processing. This is especially true for fully automated, robotized unit operations. Semi-automated unit operations in primary or secondary processing can improve the safety of workers, but their working environment is likely to remain unchanged.
• To enable the adoption of smart manufacturing, meat processors can upskill their current workforce while pursuing longer-term strategies to attract workers with robotics and digital skills from outside their industry.
• Demonstrating the benefits of fully automated robotic operations that improve worker safety is key to re-shaping the perception of the industry as a challenging working environment. It is also important for engaging the next generation of workers.
• As legislation to protect consumers against greenwashing intensifies, smart manufacturing can add credibility to sustainability claims, given the richness of data it provides. Meat processors can leverage this data to strengthen sustainability performance and enhance the value of sustainable meat products.

The meat processing industry is making a gradual pivot to smart manufacturing, the report says.

This is, in part, driven by the industry’s challenges with attracting and retaining workers, which reduces profitability and the reliability of production.

The business model for conventional processing plants is dependent on the supply of low-skilled and low-wage workers who are often sourced from an immigrant labour pool, the report notes.

To foster competitiveness and sustainability in the industry, while mitigating labour-related challenges, the report recommends:

• Showcase opportunities with transformative potential for workers:

To adopt smart manufacturing, meat processors should prioritize the upskilling of their existing workforce in the short to medium term. These efforts should be complemented by longer-term strategies to attract higher-skilled talent from outside the industry.

Processors need to work with skills and capacity development entities to showcase the potential for transformative changes in the working environment and worker safety areas.

Canadian processors will need to collaborate in providing a demonstration of robotized unit operations for prospective workers. Changing the perception of the industry’s working environment begins with elevating the safety and experience of workers.

• Increase product value with sustainability:

Sustainability and environmental claims for goods and services are under intensified scrutiny by regulators for greenwashing (when companies claim their product is more sustainable than it really is). Smart manufacturing is poised to provide a data-rich and thorough evidence base for sustainable meat. Smart manufacturing can address social and environmental issues of the highest priority in the meat value chain.

• Engage Canada’s AI and robotics innovation ecosystem:

The use of AI-enabled robotics will alter the fundamentals of a comparative advantage in the meat-processing industry. Rather than a reliance on the experiential knowledge and skills of workers as part of their competitive advantage, processors will become increasingly dependent on intelligent, self-learning algorithms for robotics.

Many of the robotic applications for secondary processing are still in their infancy. Radical smart manufacturing innovations such as cell-based meat processing are further into the future and will require AI.

Canada is a leading jurisdiction in AI innovation. It is ranked first or second among G7 countries in AI talent concentration, research publications, and patents.

Governments can work to deepen the innovation networks between Canada’s AI innovation actors (such as the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute and Canadian robotic technology companies) and Canada’s meat processors. Institutional vehicles such as the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network Ltd. can be strengthened by governments with long-term funding support to achieve this.

• Develop smart manufacturing solutions for medium-sized processors:

Canada’s medium-sized firms have an opportunity to be included in the drive for innovation and increased productivity in meat processing.

Twenty percent of meat processors are small firms with fewer than five employees, and 45 percent have 10 or fewer workers. These firms do not have the capital and production scale required to justify the adoption of smart manufacturing.

Medium-sized firms with employees ranging from 100 to 499 are better positioned. They account for 16 percent of meat processors.

Governments should ensure that Canada’s innovation agenda is inclusive of this cohort of medium-sized firms. There is a spectrum of robotics and automation technologies that can be “right-sized” for their needs and scale.

However, robotics and AI companies need engagement platforms that provide consistent access to a critical mass of medium-sized processors. This critical mass is important in deploying robotics and automation at a scale that is commercially attractive.

Governments in collaboration with innovation enablers are well positioned to play this “integrator” role, the report says. Conference board of Canada

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Genome Canada: $1.3 billion invested and 648 active funded projects during the last 25 years

Genome Canada, which is celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year, has supported 648 active funded projects during the last 25 years, including 174 projects in 2024-25, according to the organization’s annual report.

A total of $1.3 billion was invested by Genome Canada in 25 years, including $58.4 million in 2024-25.

One hundred and thirty-three startup companies were created from Genome Canada-funded projects, including two startups last year.

A total of 16,839 research team members were supported through Genome Canada-funded projects, including 1,324 research team members in 2024-25.

Eight thousand and ninety-six trainees were supported, including 416 last year.

Genome Canada-funded projects produced 537 patents, licences and inventions, including six in 2024-25.

Genome Canada funding by sector in 2024-25 included:

• $12.4 million in agriculture.
• $5.8 million in environment.
• $1 million in energy/mining.
• $1.4 million in forestry.
• $33.7 million in health.
• $2.7 million in fisheries.
• $2.5 million in technology platforms.

The number of Genome Canada-funded projects by region in 2024-25 was:

• Genome Atlantic: 13.
• Genome Quebec: 33.
• Ontario Genomics: 70.
• Genome Prairie: 14.
• Genome Alberta: 19
• Genome British Columbia: 25.

Genome Canada said its latest and largest-ever genomics initiative will help transform the future of health care in Canada through the most ambitious human genome sequencing effort in Canadian history.

Announced in March 2025, the Canadian Precision Health Initiative (CPHI) will deliver the human genome sequencing data needed to fuel research and innovation aimed at developing more precise, preventive and cost-effective health care solutions.

A total investment of $200 million in the CPHI is expected, including $81 million in Government of Canada funding through Genome Canada, with co-funding from industry, academia and public sector partners.

The initiative will involve 12 foundational Canadian Precision Health Initiative projects sequencing 100,000 genomes over the next four years to drive precision health and Canada’s competitiveness in health innovation.

These genomes will be shared in the secure, public Pan-Canadian Genome Library and made accessible to academics and companies looking to develop new health care solutions.

By design, the CPHI will generate a dataset that represents Canada’s population diversity, ensuring the effectiveness and widespread benefits of health care solutions generated by Canadian researchers and industry.

A dedicated and determined community from the academic, health care, corporate, public and non-profit sectors is activated around this initiative.

Said Genome Canada: “Together, we will harness the many advances Canada has made in health care genomics and precision health – and this powerful new data resource – to chart an even bolder future for health and sharpen Canada’s edge in the highly competitive health innovation sector.” Genome Canada

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Environmental impacts of AI require a multifaceted approach combining tech innovation, policy changes and industry collaboration

The environmental impacts of artificial intelligence require a multifaceted approach that combines technological innovation, policy changes and industry collaboration, according to an article from CounterPunch.

A typical AI data center, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), uses as much power as 100,000 households right now, but the largest centers currently being constructed will consume 20 times that amount, says the article by Sharon Kumar, a technology editor at The Observatory, a free digital education resource.

The energy-intensive nature of AI extends beyond training to deployment and inference phases, Kumar says.

AI applications, such as image and speech recognition, natural language processing and recommendation systems, continuously process data, resulting in ongoing energy consumption. Data centres, which house the hardware for computations like those used to create large-scale AI models, have seen a significant rise in their electricity consumption.

In 2022, global data centre electricity consumption reached 460 terawatt-hours (TWh), positioning data centres as the 11th largest electricity consumer worldwide, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

In fact, projections by the IEA indicate that by 2030, electricity demand from data centres could more than double to around 945 TWh – more than Japan’s current annual electricity use.

Many data centres rely on non-renewable energy sources, leading to substantial carbon emissions.

In the United States, data centres accounted for over four percent of the nation’s total electricity consumption, with 56 percent of this energy derived from fossil fuels, resulting in more than 105 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Projections indicate that by 2028, data centres could account for up to 12 percent of the United States’ annual electricity consumption.

Compared with other sectors, the carbon footprint of AI and data centres is becoming increasingly significant, Kumar says.

For example, the emissions from in-house data centres of major tech companies, such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple, may be over seven times higher than officially reported. This underreporting underscores the need for increased transparency and accountability in evaluating the environmental impact of AI technologies.

The expansion of data centres to support AI growth has led to increased water consumption for cooling purposes, adding another layer of environmental concern. “The cumulative effect of these factors points to the urgent need to address the ecological impact of AI technologies.”

In Ashburn, Loudoun County, Virginia – dubbed “Data Center Alley” due to its exceptionally high concentration of data centres, forming a significant hub for global internet traffic – water usage increased by nearly 63 percent between 2019 and 2023, primarily driven by the growth of AI-driven infrastructure.

In the U.S., states such as Virginia are considering legislation to mandate water use estimates for data centres. Minnesota’s data centre law, passed in June 2025, requires data centres to consider water conservation measures if they plan to use more than 100 million gallons per year to cool their facilities. 

Optimizing AI models to enhance efficiency can significantly reduce energy consumption, Kumar notes.

Techniques such as model pruning (which removes redundant neural connections while maintaining performance), quantization (which reduces model precision by converting to lower bit-width formats), and knowledge distillation (which trains smaller “student” models to mimic larger “teacher” models) help streamline AI models, making them less computationally intensive without compromising performance.

Transitioning data centres to renewable energy sources is a critical step toward sustainability, Kumar says. By leveraging solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, data centres can decrease reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate environmental impact.

Google has matched 100 percent of its electricity use with renewable energy sources since 2017, and Microsoft has committed to becoming carbon negative by 2030. Meta and Microsoft have also pioneered liquid cooling techniques and direct current power systems, resulting in an improvement in energy efficiency of over three percent.

Governments and regulatory bodies play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable AI practices, Kumar says.

Implementing policies that encourage energy efficiency, mandate transparency in reporting emissions, and provide incentives for using renewable energy can drive the industry toward more environmentally friendly practices.

For instance, tax policies that address the carbon emissions from AI and cryptocurrency operations can help mitigate their environmental impact.

Businesses, researchers, and governments must collaborate to prioritize sustainability in AI initiatives, Kumar says.

This includes investing in energy-efficient technologies, integrating renewable energy sources, advanced cooling methods, and implementing supportive policies and regulations.

Transparency in energy reporting and the use of standardized metrics for measuring AI’s environmental impact will be crucial in driving accountability and ensuring its responsible use, he says.

“Ultimately, the future of AI must align with the planet’s future. As we continue to unlock AI’s potential, we must ensure that innovation does not come at the expense of our environment,” Kumar says.

“Only by embedding sustainability into every layer of AI development can we achieve a brilliant – and responsible – technological evolution.” CounterPunch

THE GRAPEVINE – News about people, institutions and communities

Marcel Turcot was appointed vice-president of strategic corporate and public affairs at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). He brings 20+ years of experience in federal strategic policy development, with a focus on science and innovation. Turcot joined NSERC in 2017 and went on to hold various senior positions before becoming director general of policy, strategy and performance in 2022. He succeeds outgoing vice-president Dr. Marc Gervais. NSERC

The Prince Edward Island BioAlliance’s board of directors appointed Lauren Ledwell as the new CEO, effective September 2025. Ledwell brings extensive experience in business transformation, venture capital and system innovation to the sector. She will succeed founding CEO Rory Francis who announced that he would retire in 2025. Most recently, Ledwell was a principal at Sandpiper Ventures, spearheading seed and Series A investments in inclusive, high-growth Canadian tech companies. She previously held senior roles at Manulife, RBC, and Maple Leaf Foods, and served as CEO of Discovery Garden. PEI BioAlliance

Glen Hodgson joined the C. D. Howe Institute as a senior fellow. Hodgson has 40 years of experience in global and Canadian macroeconomics, international trade analysis and finance, fiscal and tax policy, and other “big picture” topics. Prior to joining the C.D. Howe Institute, his career spanned the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C., the federal Department of Finance, Export Development Canada, and the Conference Board of Canada. His topics of expertise and interest include: global, U.S., Canadian and provincial economic performance; globalization, trade and disruption; managing catastrophic risk; the emerging low-carbon economy; fiscal and tax policy; and the business economics of sports. C. D. Howe Institute

Michael McDonald has officially started as vice-president, external and member relations, at Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). In his new role, he will lead CICan’s government relations, communications, and member relations efforts to ensure the colleges and institutes sector is seizing the opportunity to work with government, industry and post-secondary partners to build a strong, sovereign and resilient Canada, CICan said. McDonald succeeds Anna Toneguzzo, who retired at the end of July after 30 years of outstanding service to CICan. CICan LinkedIn post

Waterloo, Ont.-based data-management software firm OpenText Corporation announced the appointment of James McGourlay, currently executive vice-president, international sales, as interim CEO effective immediately. OpenText also said it will explore selling off some of the “non-core assets” of its business. McGourlay has been with OpenText for more than 25 years and has held senior roles in sales, customer operations, IT, technical support, product support and special projects. OpenText’s board of directors informed Mark J. Barrenechea of this transition from his role as CEO, chief technology officer, and vice-chairman of the board, effective immediately. To support the executive leadership team during the transition period, the company announced the appointment of P. Thomas Jenkins as executive chair and chief strategy officer, and the establishment of an executive committee. Savinay Berry was named chief technology officer. OpenText

Sara Hooker is leaving her role after three years as head of Toronto-based Cohere Labs, the AI firm’s research arm, on September 15, the Mila-trained computer scientist said in a LinkedIn post. Hooker said during her tenure, Cohere Labs built a world-class research team, expanded technology into languages and countries once invisible, published 100+ papers, partnered with 150+ institutions, and released state-of-the-art models. She said after September 15, she’ll “be exploring new problems I believe are central to the future of intelligence.” Sara Hooker LinkedIn post

Toronto-based AI-powered autonomous trucking company Waabi announced that Lior Ron will join the company as chief operating officer. Ron brings transformative leadership experience from the intersection of technology and logistics, spanning product innovation and commercial strategy. For the past decade, he has been founder and CEO at Uber Freight, where he built the company from inception into an end-to-end logistics platform with over $5 billion in annual revenue. The pairing of Ron’s extensive background in building a highly connected, multi-modal freight network with Waabi’s groundbreaking physical AI leadership presents a “formidable opportunity” to rapidly scale the commercial deployment of autonomous trucks, Waabi said. Waabi is testing autonomous trucks in Texas and aims to deploy trucks without drivers on roads by the end of this year. Waabi

CIBC announced several senior leadership appointments to its Group Executive Team in preparation for Harry Culham, former head of capital markets, assuming the role of president and CEO on November 1, 2025. Christian Exshaw will lead the bank’s capital markets division after serving as its deputy head since last year. Kevin Li will become group head for the U.S. region and president and CEO of CIBC Bank USA; Christina Kramer will become chief administrative officer and continue to lead CIBC’s innovation group; Stephen Scholtz was promoted to global chief legal officer after serving as general counsel for Canada; and Amy South will lead the office of the CEO and serve as chief of staff. CIBC

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) recommended, in a pre-budget submission, that the federal government launch a new capital funding program for new training spaces and equipment at publicly supported colleges, institutes, cégeps and polytechnics. This program should provide $60 million a year, for a total of $300 million in funding over the next five years, CICan said CICan also recommended developing a “One Canadian Training and Workforce Strategy,” as the federal government works with the provinces, territories, business and labour to mobilize action towards the goal of One Canadian Economy. In addition, CiCan recommended launching a set of new “Apprentice Wayfinding Accelerators” – at a cost of $40 million annually for five years – hosted across regions of the country at selected colleges and institutes. CICan also recommended investing $485 million over five years in the College and Community Innovation Program and committing to establishing the baseline annual funding for the program at $215.2 million by 2030. Part of this funding should be dedicated to new, mission-driven grants targeted at delivering results in priority challenge areas for Canada. CICan represents 128 member-institutions across Canada. CICan

The federal government should increase baseline funding to the College and Community Innovation Program to $216 million per year to drive innovation, derisk technology adoption and support commercialization of Canadian businesses, Polytechnics Canada said in a pre-budget submission. Ottawa also should establish a defence innovation fund to build on existing capacity at Canada’s post-secondary institutions as part of new national defence investments, Polytechnics Canada said. The organization also recommended that the federal government invest $50 million over five years to strengthen cyber defence at Canada’s polytechnics and colleges. The government also should introduce training vouchers to support workforce adjustment in critical sectors and ensure mid-career workers remain at the cutting edge of their fields, Polytechnics Canada said. The government also needs to better position the skilled trades workforce to respond to demand for new housing, domestic manufacturing capacity and renewal of transportation infrastructure by prioritizing the retention and completion of apprentices in high-demand trades. Polytechnics Canada recommended that the federal government establish – and fund for the first five years –apprenticeship intermediaries in critical skilled trades occupations, prioritizing those with low completion rates but strong labour market demand. Polytechnics Canada

Red Deer Polytechnic, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology formed a consortium to launch a new applied research project to transform asphalt shingle waste into paving stones. The project is funded in part with a $450,000-grant from Emissions Reduction Alberta. This collaborative applied research initiative aims to find sustainable and cost-effective solutions for recycling asphalt shingles and pavement for industry partner Sustainable Paving Stones (SPS). The partners will design and build a commercial production unit, which will integrate a biomass furnace to further reduce production-related greenhouse gas emissions. The project will include iterative simulation and modelling, testing for durability, and a comprehensive lifecycle assessment of SPS’s commercial system by the project’s conclusion in 2027. Red Deer Polytechnic

The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo) established the Dieter Schwarz Chair in the Physics of Information and AI, supported by the Germany-based Dieter Schwarz Foundation. Housed in the Faculty of Mathematics, the chair will advance research at the intersection of quantum theory, machine learning and emerging technologies, with potential applications in medicine, cybersecurity and materials science. The chair will be held by Dr. Achim Kempf, a professor of mathematical physics, who will lead the creation of a global research hub connecting UWaterloo and the Bildungscampus in Heilbronn, Germany. Mobilizing knowledge between the two regions – and others worldwide – the chair will build an elite research team at UWaterloo that will include a tenure-track professor and several top graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. UWaterloo

The University of Manitoba (UM) created the UM Research Chair in Potato Sustainability, focused on innovation and sustainability in Manitoba’s potato industry. The inaugural chair will be Dr. Linda Schott, PhD, who will lead efforts to address critical priorities such as soil productivity, irrigation, disease management and variety development, while training the next generation of researchers and industry professionals. Schott joined the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences as associate professor in the Department of Plant Science on July 1, 2025. The chair is made possible through a partnership between UM and key players in the provincial potato sector, with support from industry leaders including the J.R. Simplot Company Foundation, McCain Foods, Keystone Potato Producers and Peak of the Market. University of Manitoba

The Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) created a new research chair focused on adapting municipal infrastructure to climate change. The chair will be jointly held by Juste Rajaonson (UQAM) and Francis Marleau Donais (École de technologie supérieure {ÉTS}). The chair – the result of a joint initiative by the AdapT Institute at ÉTS and the Union des municipalités du Québec, with support from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – aims to support Quebec municipalities in transforming their infrastructure to better respond to current and future climate challenges. The AdapT-UMQ Chair will provide governments and municipalities with concrete tools for optimized infrastructure management and will deploy a program of student projects in municipal settings, providing direct support to the communities most vulnerable to climate challenges. UQAM

The University of Manitoba’s (UM) “How to Start a Side Hustle” workshop has become a permanent option after a successful pilot year on the Fort Garry campus. Participants in this free six-week workshop, organized by the Asper School of Business, develop the skills they need to launch a business, including how to survey customers, develop financial plans and adapt their vision. Ben Isakov, a startup coach at UM’s Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship, and his team started a side hustle 101 course at the start of the 2024-25 school year. The centre hired Jeff Mitchell, an entrepreneur who runs a firm in Kitchener, Ont. that specializes in business development, to teach the online program. Isakov provides complementary coaching support. More than 350 people, including current university students and employees, have applied to take part in the workshop. The initial three cohorts had between 20 and 30 spots. The fourth is scheduled for October. Winnipeg Free Press

In an “Ask Dr. Editor” column for University Affairs, Letitia Henville, a freelance academic editor at shortishard.ca described strategies for researchers interested in pursuing Natural Engineering and Research Council of Canada Discovery grants. Henville explained that Discovery peer reviewers are looking for projects that are open-ended and focus on discovery. Since reviewers go to the Canadian Common CV to see evidence of a researcher’s ability to carry out a project, this should be considered a part of the application materials. Methodology is another area to pay close attention to and researchers must ensure that they are writing for a broad audience and justifying their methodological choices. Henville also encouraged researchers to ensure that their equality, diversity and inclusion approach distinguishes them from applicants who use boilerplate statements. University Affairs

A competition at the University of British Columbia (UBC) gave engineering physics students the opportunity to showcase their skills while rescuing “pets” in distress. Fifteen teams of engineering physics students spent 10 weeks this summer designing and building autonomous robots for a competition in which they sent their robots to save pets – represented by magnetic plush toys – from a burning animal hospital. The robots worked without human control to find the animals, avoid obstacles and rescue them in a variety of different ways, including carrying them out, tossing them out a window, dropping them down a construction chute, or zipping them down a line to safety. “This is the start of a practical and theoretical skill set that will carry [the students] through to working careers at the forefront of technology,” said Dylan Gunn, UBC Engineering Physics Project Lab Director. UBC

Kitchener, Ont.-headquartered Conestoga College reported a $121-million surplus in its 2024-25 fiscal year and is anticipating a fiscal deficit in 2025-26. Since the fall semester of 2023, Conestoga’s international student enrolment has dropped by 20,000 students, equaling a financial loss of approximately $450 million, John Tibbits, president of Conestoga, said in a message to staff. In the college’s financial reporting, its tuition revenue decreased from about $682 million in 2024 to $563 million in 2025. The college has made a number of cuts to staff, including cuts to an undisclosed number of administrative staff. While Conestoga intends to continue to pursue capital projects at its campuses in Cambridge, Waterloo, and Brantford, Guelph Today reported that the college’s $90-million Guelph campus project has been deferred until further notice due to a drop in enrolment. City News, Guelph Today

Saskatchewan Polytechnic laid off 14 employees and confirmed that it will not fill an additional eight vacant positions, CBC News reported. These layoffs follow 27 job cuts made in April. In a statement to the Regina Leader-Post, Sask Polytech cited declining international enrolment – driven by federal immigration changes – as the primary cause. The Saskatchewan Polytechnic Faculty Association (SPFA) said the institution is facing a $15-million budget shortfall. Michelle Downton, SPFA’s president, called on the provincial government to increase funding to reduce postsecondary institutions’ reliance on international tuition. CBC News

International students – particularly those from China – are increasingly seeking postsecondary options outside the United States due to factors like U.S. visa process changes and delays and the high-profile deportations of some international students. According to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, new international enrolment in the U.S. could decline by 30 percent to 40 percent. While countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom are expected to benefit from this uncertainty, The Associated Press reported that Western universities’ satellite campuses in Asia and the Middle East have also seen a rise in applications. The U.K. in particular is predicted to benefit most from this shift away from the U.S., despite the U.K. government’s plans to reduce migration. The Associated Press

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University of Alberta researchers make breakthrough in rechargeable, environmentally friendly water-based batteries

Engineering researchers at the University of Alberta have found a way to make rechargeable, environmentally friendly water-based batteries perform far better than those currently available.

The idea of using batteries that use a water-based electrolyte solution – rather than the organic solvents used in lithium batteries – has been around since the 19^th century.

Invented in 1859, the lead-acid “aqueous” battery used to start most internal combustion vehicles is one example still used today.

But aqueous batteries don’t have the energy density, voltage and storage capacity to power electric vehicles or to adequately store energy produced by renewable technologies like solar panels and wind turbines.

On the other hand, lithium-ion batteries – with their high energy density, long life, charging speed and lightweight construction – have their own drawbacks. Chief among them are their high cost and the risk of fire and even explosion.

Materials scientist Xiaolei Wang and his student Zhixiao Xu in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering have begun to close the gap, finding a way to make rechargeable aqueous batteries perform far better than those currently available.

The results of the breakthrough were published recently in Nature Communications.

“Aqueous batteries are cheaper, easily disposed of because we use just water, and aren’t toxic or flammable,” Wang said.

Batteries made of organic materials, like the aqueous variety, tend to conduct electricity poorly, so that a lot of extra carbon has to be added to make them work, he said – so there is less room for materials that store energy. They are also low-density and don’t hold much energy.

The key to the team’s breakthrough is in the design of electrode materials, where the battery’s energy is stored.

In an aqueous battery, the transfer of electrical current between the cathode and anode is facilitated by a water-based electrolyte, as opposed to an organic solvent used in a lithium-ion battery.

By constructing what they call pressurized organic electrodes, Wang’s team achieved increased energy density, chemical reactivity, electronic conductivity, thermal stability, mechanical strength and adhesive property.

“As a result they charge faster, last longer, and store much more energy, now outperforming almost all other organic batteries,” Wang said.

Wang’s results were based on the lab performance of a coin-size battery and a larger battery pack about the size of a small sandwich bag. More work needs to be done to make larger batteries viable for commercial use.

The next phase, Wang said, is to find an industry partner willing to invest in upscaling his technology. Geoff McMaster, writing in U of A’s Folio

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