I-CAN

Innoventures Canada (I-CAN) is a consortium that brings together several of Canada's leading research agencies to develop and commercialize new technologies on a national scale. One of I-CAN's strategic focus areas is exploring innovative ways to convert CO₂ into valuable products and reduce emissions into the atmosphere.

An impressive team

ARC was instrumental in bringing together research partners to form I-CAN, and we continue to be a leading partner in the venture.

The I-CAN partners are:

• Alberta Research Council
• Saskatchewan Research Council
• Manitoba Industrial Technology Centre
• Centre de Recherche Industrielle du Québec
• New Brunswick Research and Productivity Centre
• Northern Centre for Advanced Technology
• FPInnovations (formerly Feric/Forintek/Paprican)
• Institut Nationale d'Optique (INO)
• British Columbia Powertech Labs
• Prince Edward Island Food Technology Centre

Nationwide resources

By bringing these organizations together under the I-CAN umbrella, we give companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a single portal to our combined resources, specialized facilities, equipment and expertise. Together, I-CAN:

• improves Canada's performance in commercializing research;
• consolidates resources;
• shortens a company's "time to market" for new product development;
• provides access to leading edge, specialized facilities that may not otherwise be available or cost-effective; and
• strengthens the ties between R&D service providers, government and industry.

We eagerly anticipate other interested and invested partners joining the team.

Forward-thinking initiatives

I-CAN focuses on creating strategies for clean air, coping with climate change, and sustainable development. We take part in research, development and pilot plant activities that have both medium- and long-term impacts.  

With respect to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, I-CAN has begun important work that will result in economically viable processes and products that can be used to capture and convert CO₂ emissions to acceptable and economic forms and uses.

Bringing government and industry together

I-CAN provides a mechanism to bring together industry, government and applied research organizations to tackle large projects on a national scale. In this way, we can accomplish goals that no one company or industry could do on its own. Because our expertise reaches across the country, we can have a national, regional or provincial perspective on matters important to natural resource industries.

I-CAN helps federal and provincial governments to rationalize public investments in applied research and commercialization by:

• avoiding duplication,
• optimizing new investments in facilities, and
• ensuring access to facilities for companies, particularly SMEs, who are key drivers of the Canadian economy.

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