Grant: Technology Access Centre

The Kootenay region served by Selkirk College is located in rural southeastern British Columbia, on the traditional territories of the Sinixt, Syilx, Ktunaxa, and Secwépemc peoples. The Kootenay region has a long history of natural resource dependence and the second highest proportion of jobs in goods-producing industries among BC’s regions. Companies face global pressure to enhance productivity and manage risks to the environment, assets and supply chains. Selkirk Innovates, the college’s applied research department, has invested over 17 years to develop deep expertise in advanced manufacturing. We rank #7 nationally in research intensity and #9 in number of research partnerships held by small colleges. With support from NSERC, Selkirk College formally established the Selkirk Technology Access Centre (STAC) in Trail, BC in 2020. Selkirk’s TAC is one of only three in BC –and the only rural BC TAC– serving 321 industry partners (78% companies) with cutting-edge advanced manufacturing tools and methods, generating new products and quality/productivity/profitability improvements. Significant advanced manufacturing research and training has been undertaken with partners as envisioned in our TAC launch proposal in the areas of rapid prototyping, 3d scanning & reverse engineering, additive & subtractive manufacturing and digital fabrication & design - along with specialized training. This TAC renewal proposal speaks to the incremental value to be supplied by the STAC in the coming 5 years as our advanced computing & data science team grows in sophistication and independence and focuses in on the data-driven environmental solutions and asset management services demanded by our industry partners. The renewed STAC enfolds our experienced geomatics team, who are newly engaged in fee-for-service research for industry partners, offering data-driven environmental and infrastructure solutions via precision, landscape-scale, aerial geospatial mapping technology. We will adjust to our offerings in advanced materials – partnering the chemistry, integrating composites and ensuring our expertise in prototype development & innovative manufacturing practice is paramount in research projects. And finally, we will invest in robotics & automation, upskilling and focusing equipment acquisitions strategically to stay ahead of demand as our manufacturing partners begin to adopt “Industry 4.0” practices that blur the lines between the physical and digital worlds.