Grant: Technology Access Centre

Red Deer Polytechnic's Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing Technology Access Centre (CIM-TAC) is crucial to Central Alberta’s innovation ecosystem, driving regional prosperity through process and product innovation, improved competitiveness, and commercialization. CIM-TAC will provide a comprehensive suite of applied research and innovation services, fostering the adoption of advanced and smart manufacturing, and design for circularity, and the commercialization of new products for global export. Manufacturing, a cornerstone of Central Alberta’s economy, provides high-quality jobs and is a growing and diversifying sector that supports the local economy through exports of Canadian-made products. In the context of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, inflation, labour and skills shortages, and a highly competitive global market, CIM-TAC is set to expand and enhance its capacity to meet community needs in new ways. NSERC Technology Access Centre funding will build on recent strategic investments to expand CIM-TAC to 30,000 square feet of cutting-edge infrastructure. This investment will enable CIM-TAC to drive technology adoption, integrate additive manufacturing, robotics, and automation into production, and onshore manufacturing processes including injection moulding to Alberta. This will result in economic impacts including job creation, improved competitiveness, and profitability in the sector, contribute to Canada meeting net zero goals, minimize waste, and reduce the need for new raw inputs. Our combined product development and business support will help scale and grow regional startups and small and medium-sized enterprises. Over the next five years, CIM-TAC will train over 150 polytechnic students and many more internationally trained professionals and industrial workers to fill skills gaps and labour shortages. In addition, CIM-TAC initiatives will make manufacturing jobs and spaces accessible and address systemic barriers in manufacturing. Since becoming a TAC in 2020, CIM-TAC has excelled in applied research, innovation, workforce development, and partnerships, increasing industry revenues tenfold, partnering with 219 private sector clients and 29 organizations, training 72 students, developing 233 products and processes, generating $1.36 million in partner cash, and securing $7.94 million in grant funding.