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News

  1. A local entrepreneur has partnered with the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing to produce an oil and gas prototype after discovering the College's resources while on contract to clean the windows.
  2. The Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing recently collaborated with Better Made Wheelchairs of Red Deer, AB. to help scan a prototype bracking system for a new type of wheelchair. Read about it here.
  3. Check out the latest issue of Red Deer Living Magazine to read an article regarding a former RDC student's collaboration with Dr. Scott Oddie, Dr. Gregory Wells and Alberta Health Services.
  4. June 21, 2011 was National Aboriginal Day and a product designed by Red Deer College's Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing helped make it a success.  Tepee booties (below) were designed and built by the centre to allow a tepee to be set up on the smooth floor of the RDC gymnasium. They were used again in city park for National Aboriginal Day to prevent damage to the grass.
       
       
  5. The Red Deer Advocate's annual "Report on Central Alberta" has featured the Centre for Innovation in manufacturing. Click here to read the article.
  6. A delegation from Tomsk, Russia took a tour of the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing on Tuesday, June 14, 2011. The tour was led by Mark Burggren and the Director of Applied Research and Innovation Eric Kokko.

    Mark Burggren (left) explains how the automation trainer teaches students the principles of a manufacturing line.

    Mark Burggren (right) and Eric Kokko (second from right) show a product from the rapid prototype machine in the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing.
  7. The Inaugural Student Design Competition, sponsored by the Applied Research & Innovation Department and NOVA Chemicals, has awarded $2000 to the three participating teams (Media Release). Congratulations to all the teams for participating and get ready for next year's competition. To read more about the competition, click here.
     
     Judges and participants of this year's Student Design Competition.
  8. RDC and Red Deer Regional Economic Development (RDRED) are pleased to announce Matt Williams as the winner of The RED Challenge (Media Release.) Matt’s win of $20,00 for business start-up was announced during a May 5th Chamber luncheon at RDC. Applied Research and Innovation will be hosting Matt in BCTL for 1 year as part of the prize.
     

     Matt Williams, Jack and Joan Donald, Derek Gratz

  2.   RDC and BioLen Reactors Ltd Partner on Prototype Biodiesel Processor

  3.   Alberta Education and Technology - Innovation Voucher Program

March 2010 UPDATE: Next round of Innovation Voucher Awards Expected 

About the Innovation Voucher Pilot Program

Innovation vouchers help small technology and knowledge-driven businesses in Alberta get their ideas and products to market faster. Companies can apply for vouchers worth up to $10,000 or $50,000 to use at Alberta's public and not-for-profit service providers for business and technology development services.

During the program's pilot, preference will be given to businesses in emerging growth sectors such as clean technology, health, bio-tech and ICT.

Using Innovation Vouchers

Innovation vouchers can be used as partial payment for services offered by approved service providers. Vouchers are valid for nine months from the date they are awarded. See the innovation voucher program guidelines for additional details.

Value

Vouchers are available in two denominations:

    • A voucher to a maximum value of $10,000 for smaller fee-based services such as marketing studies, business advice, or business formation
    • A voucher to a maximum value of $50,000 for more substantial technology development activity such as product prototyping, lab verification, field testing, etc.

Businesses are eligible to receive (if successful in their application) one of each type of voucher through the program.

Eligibility

The innovation voucher program is open to businesses that are technology or knowledge-driven and are developing new products or services for growing markets. The business must be registered in Alberta or Canada, conduct more than 50 percent of its business in Alberta, have 50 or fewer staff and had a gross revenue that, in the preceding fiscal year, did not exceed $5,000,000.

Interested RDC faculty or local companies seeking collaborations should contact the RDC Centre for Innovation and Applied esearch and discuss your needs.

Applying for an AET Innovation Voucher

Interested parties should review the AET website and also work with the RDC Centre for Innovation and Applied Research to ensure a quality submission and to leverage the voucher with numerous resources from RDC, local industry, and other collaborators.

The first round of innovation vouchers totaling more than $5 million were awarded in February 2009 to 179 companies from 24 communities across the province. The vouchers will help these companies to develop their technology-based ideas into marketable products or services at labs, fabrication centers, business development services and other organizations supporting innovation. 

Contact:

Eric Kokko
Director
t: 403.343.4070| e: eric.kokko@rdc.ab.ca